Snow Goose

Comes in two color morphs: the white morph has entirely white plumage with black wingtips (visible in flight), and the dark morph (blue goose) has a bluish-gray body with a white head and upper neck. Both morphs have pink bills with a dark 'grin patch' and pink legs.

White plumage with black wingtips (white morph), pink bill with a dark blackish 'grin patch' along the cutting edge, and pink legs and feet.

Length: 60-79 cm, Wingspan: 130-165 cm, Weight: 2.5-3.2 kg

High-pitched, nasal barks and yelps, often described as a cacophony of sound when a large flock calls simultaneously.

Herbivorous. Feeds on grasses, sedges, roots, shoots, and agricultural grains like corn and rice, often grubbing for roots with its strong bill.

Tundra and coastal marshes during the breeding season; agricultural fields, wet meadows, and estuarine marshes during migration and winter.

Highly migratory. Travels in large family groups and flocks between Arctic breeding grounds and southern wintering areas.

Nests on the ground in a shallow depression lined with plant material and down feathers, usually on elevated areas of the tundra. Clutch size ranges from 2 to 6 creamy-white eggs.

Ross's Goose, which is smaller, shorter-necked, lacks the 'grin patch' on the bill, and has a straighter bill base.

Snow Geese play a major role in shaping Arctic tundra ecosystems through foraging. However, overabundant populations can severely overgraze vegetation, leading to habitat degradation.

Least Concern, with a rapidly increasing population trend.

Look for massive flocks in agricultural fields or wetlands during migration and winter. Scanning large flocks is key, as they frequently mix with other goose species like Ross's Geese and Greater White-fronted Geese.

Snow Goose populations have grown so dramatically due to agricultural expansion in wintering grounds that special conservation measures, such as extended hunting seasons, have been implemented to protect their fragile Arctic breeding habitats from overgrazing.