Ducks, geese, and swans · Waterfowl
Snow Goose
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Anser caerulescens
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How to recognize it
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Larger than a duck
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White morph: white plumage, black wingtips
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Blue morph: dark gray body, white head, neck, and tail tip
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Pink bill with a black edge and pink legs
About the species
Most are white, with black wingtips and pink legs. A pink bill has a dark edge that gives the face a black line. Some are blue-gray instead, with white heads, necks and tail tips; both color forms can occur in the same flock.
Their calls carry for more than a mile, and outside the nesting season they feed in flocks. Pairs usually form long bonds, and white and blue-gray geese mate with either color form, so their young may be either color.
They nest in Arctic tundra north of the tree line, often in colonies, then fly south in large flocks to winter across North America, from southwestern Canada to Mexico. Arctic grasses feed them in summer; in winter, they pick up leftover grain in fields.
Where to find
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In the British Isles, scan flocks of brent, barnacle, and greater white-fronted geese for a snow goose — it is a rare vagrant in Europe.
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On the Arctic tundra of northeastern Siberia, look for nesting colonies on higher ground in late May or early June, depending on snow conditions.
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In winter, watch flocks feed on leftover grain in agricultural fields across North America.
