Snow Goose

Chen caerulescensOrder: ANSERIFORMES Family: Geese and Ducks (Anatidae)

Codes: Common Name: SNGO Scientific Name: CHECAE ITIS Taxonomic No.: 175038

Breeding Location:

Grassland with scattered trees, Grasslands

Breeding Type:

Monogamous, Colonial

Breeding Population:

Very common, Abundant

Egg Color:

White, nest stained

Number of Eggs:

3 - 5

Incubation Days:

23 - 25

Egg Incubator:

Female

Nest Material:

Lined with grasses and down.

Migration:

Migratory

General

Snow Goose: Large goose with two color phases. White phase is all white with black wing tips. Blue phase has white head and neck, blue-gray upperparts, gray-brown breast and sides, and white belly. Bill is pink with black lower mandible. Legs and feet are pink. Sexes are similar. Juvenile has brown head and neck, and gray bill.

Range and Habitat

Snow Goose: Breeds in the Arctic regions of North America and extreme eastern Siberia. In the west, spends winters on the Pacific coast from southern British Columbia south to Baja California; also mid-Atlantic coast and the Gulf Coast from Mississippi to Texas. Breeds on tundra; wintering habitats include salt marshes and marshy coastal bays and also freshwater marshes and adjacent grain fields.

Breeding and Nesting

Snow Goose: Three to five white eggs are laid in a ground nest sparsely lined with down; nests in colonies on tundra. Incubation ranges from 23 to 25 days and is carried out by the female.

Foraging and Feeding

Snow Goose: Diet consists of salt grass, wild millet, spikerush, feathergrass, panic grass, seashore paspalum, delta duck potato, bulrush, cordgrass, cattail, ryegrass, and wild rice; cultivated rice is a very important food on wintering grounds in Texas and Louisiana.

Vocalization

Snow Goose: Emits a high-pitched, barking "bow-wow" or "howk-howk."

Similar Species

Snow Goose: Domesticated barnyard goose lacks black primaries and usually has orange bill. Ross's Goose is smaller with stubbier, entirely pink bill; juvenile is paler than juvenile Snow Goose.

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Snow Goose

Snow Goose: Large goose with two color phases. White phase is all white with black wing tips. Blue phase has white head and neck, blue-gray upperparts, gray-brown breast and sides, white belly. Pink bill, black lower mandible. Pink legs, feet. Strong direct flight in bunched flocks or U formations.

● Song: "bow-wow", "honk-honk"

● Foraging & Feeding: Snow Goose: Diet consists of salt grass, wild millet, spikerush, feathergrass, panic grass, seashore paspalum, delta duck potato, bulrush, cordgrass, cattail, ryegrass, and wild rice; cultivated rice is a very important food on wintering grounds in Texas and Louisiana.

● Breeding & nesting: Snow Goose: Three to five white eggs are laid in a ground nest sparsely lined with down; nests in colonies on tundra. Incubation ranges from 23 to 25 days and is carried out by the female.

● Similar species: Snow Goose: Domesticated barnyard goose lacks black primaries and usually has orange bill. Ross's Goose is smaller with stubbier, entirely pink bill; juvenile is paler than juvenile Snow Goose.

Flight Pattern

Strong direct flight.

● Range & Habitat: Snow Goose: Breeds in the Arctic regions of North America and extreme eastern Siberia. In the west, spends winters on the Pacific coast from southern British Columbia south to Baja California; also mid-Atlantic coast and the Gulf Coast from Mississippi to Texas. Breeds on tundra; wintering habitats include salt marshes and marshy coastal bays and also freshwater marshes and adjacent grain fields.

^BreedingMonogamous, Colonial

^PopulationVery common, Abundant

^MigrationMigratory

^Weight84 - 86 Ounces

Upperparts

Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.

Belly

The ventral part of the bird, or the area between the flanks on each side and the crissum and breast. Flight muscles are located between the belly and the breast.

Breast

The upper front part of a bird.

Lower mandible

The lower part of the bill.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America

Snow Goose

Breeding Location:

Breeding Type:

Breeding Population:

Egg Color:

Number of Eggs:

Incubation Days:

Egg Incubator:

Nest Material:

Migration:

Recommended Products:

General

Range and Habitat

Breeding and Nesting

Foraging and Feeding

Vocalization

Similar Species

Snow Goose

Flight Pattern