Snow Goose
(Anser caerulescens)
Conservation • Description • Habitat • Biology • Distribution • Taxonomy
Conservation Status |
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| IUCN Red List | LC - Least Concern |
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| NatureServe | N5B, N5N - Secure Breeding and Nonbreeding SNRM - Unranked Migrant |
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| Minnesota | not listed |
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Description |
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The plumage is completely white except for black wingtips. The bill is pink and has a small, dark line, often called a “grinning patch”. The blue morph, often called Blue Goose, has a white head and upper neck and a bluish-gray body. Immature individuals have gray or dusty white plumage and a grayish-brown bill. |
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Size |
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28″ to 33″in length 54″ to 60″wingspan |
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Voice |
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Similar Species |
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| Ross’s Goose (Anser rossii) is much smaller. The neck is shorter. There is no dark “grinning patch” on the bill. | ||
Habitat |
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Wet prairies, shallow wetlands, lakes, fields |
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Biology |
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Migration |
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Mid-March to late May and mid-September to late December |
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Nesting |
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Food |
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Grasses, sedges, and aquatic plants |
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Distribution |
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Occurrence |
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Common to abundant migrant |
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Maps |
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The Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union All Seasons Species Occurrence Map |
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Taxonomy |
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| Class | Aves (birds) | ||
Order |
Anseriformes (waterfowl) | ||
Family |
Anatidae (ducks, geese, and swans) | ||
| Subfamily | Anserinae (true geese and swans) | ||
Genus |
Anser (gray geese and white geese) | ||
This species was formerly placed with two other “white geese” in the genus Chen. All three species are now included with the “gray geese” in the genus Anser. |
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Subordinate Taxa |
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Greater Snow Goose (Anser caerulescens atlanticus) Lesser Snow Goose (Anser caerulescens caerulescens) ________________ * Occasional |
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Almost all of the Snow Geese seen in Minnesota are the Lesser Snow Goose subspecies. Occasionally, a Greater Snow Goose straggler will be seen but its usual range is farther east. |
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Synonyms |
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Chen caerulescens |
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Visitor Photos |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos |
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Slideshows |
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| Snow Goose Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren |
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| Snow Goose Ed McVicker |
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| Snow Goose JMC Nature Photos |
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Visitor Videos |
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Share your video of this bird. |
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| This button not working for you? Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com. Attach a video, a YouTube link, or a cloud storage link. |
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Avi Birds |
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| Snow Goose [Anser Caerulescens] Sep 15, 2021 |
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About
In this video, we learn about the snow goose, also known as the blue goose. |
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Other Videos |
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| Lesser Snow Geese Combatpzman |
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About
Uploaded on Nov 9, 2010 A short video of Lesser Snow Geese in a field behind The George C Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary. |
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| Snow Goose jube o |
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About
Published on Oct 18, 2014 Snow Goose Adult dark morph, caerulescens |
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| Snow geese flying 2011 welc2bc |
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About
Uploaded on Nov 11, 2011 The Lesser Snow Geese visiting the Sanctuary are part of the Wrangel Island (Pacific Flyway) nesting population. Wrangel Island lies in the Arctic Ocean, north of Siberia, and belongs to Russia. A "population" is the number of animals of the same type living in an area. Birds nesting on Wrangel Island split into two separate wintering sub-populations. One winters in California, and one winters locally. Lesser Snow Goose Facts: More videos, photos and information about BC from www.Welcome2BC.com, BC-Videos.com, GalleryBC.com, BCFoodChannel.com, DreamHomesBC.com and PoMan.co |
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| Snow Geese Fir Island Washington Nov. 25th 2011 fnu lnu |
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About
Uploaded on Nov 25, 2011 Lesser Snow Geese Feeding |
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| Lesser Snow goose Happyadventure100 |
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About
Published on Mar 29, 2013 Snow Goose on St. Lawrence river near Long Sault Ontario |
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Visitor Sightings |
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Report a sighting of this bird. |
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| M Hage 10/7/2019 |
Location: Kelsey A pair of snow geese spotted in our back pasture. |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings |
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