Snow goose
The snow goose (Chen caerulescens or Anser caerulescens), also known as the blue goose, is a North American species of goose. Its name comes from its white feathers. Some authorities place this species in the Chen genus.[1] Other authorities place these species in the "gray goose" genus Anser.[2] In addition to a white phase they also have a blue phase.[3] In the white phase they are all-white except for their primary feathers which are black. In the blue phase the head and upper neck remain white.[3]
Subspecies
There are two known subspecies:
- Lesser Snow goose - Breeds in Alaska, arctic Canada and Siberia. In winter they migrate to western and southern USA and Mexico.[4]
- Greater Snow goose - It breeds in eastern arctic Canada and Greenland. It winters along the US Atlantic coast.[4] It is slightly larger than the Lesser Snow goose and has a heavier bill.[4]
Snow Goose Media
A pair of snow geese calling
Snow goose at the Gray Lodge Wildlife Area in Northern California
A. c. atlanticus, spring migration, blue morphs in foreground, Alexandria, Ontario
Wintering snow geese on Fir Island, Washington
A Snow Goose landing at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge.
Snow geese in a corn field on Fir Island, Washington in the Skagit River delta
Greater snow geese in flight
Related pages
References
- ↑ Kenn Kaufman, Lives of North American Birds (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2001), p. 75
- ↑ Malcolm A. Ogilvie, Wildfowl of the World (London: New Holland Publishers, 2002), p. 38
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Ducks, Geese and Swans, ed. Janet Kear (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005), pp. 297–298
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 M. A. Ogilvie; Steve Young, Wildfowl of the World (London: New Holland, 2002), p. 38
Other websites
- Snow Goose Species Account – Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- The Nature Conservancy's Species profile: Snow Goose Archived 2016-07-15 at the Wayback Machine Learn more about the conservation of these geese
- Snow Goose - Chen caerulescens – USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter