Flying in perfect V-formations at altitudes of up to 20,000 feet, huge numbers of snow geese leaves their chilly artic breeding grounds every fall for warmer southern climes. With its dazzling white plumage, the snow goose is aptly named and is one of the easiest of all geese to identify. However, there are three types of snow goose, one of which is actually a dark, gray-colored bird known as the blue goose. The white and blue goose occasionally interbreed.

Breeding: Unlike most geese, which are extremely aggressive and antisocial during breeding season, snow geese nest together in huge colonies. In the more popular breeding grounds, colonies numbering nearly 200,000 pairs are not uncommon. Snow geese pair for life, although trios of a male and two females and, rarely, two males and a female, sometimes occur. Paired birds migrate together, and as soon as they reach their breeding grounds, they begin nest building. Both birds work together to build their nest, which is set in a hollow on the ground of the open Artic plane, or tundra.
The female incubates the eggs for 22-23 days while the male stands guard. Protected by both parents, the goslings soon become self-sufficient. In little more than a month, they are ready to migrate south.

Food and Feeding: The snow goose’s diet varies considerably throughout the year according to the availability of food in its different summer and winter habitats. It feeds mainly on grass, wheat, rice, and other vegetation, although it eats insects as well. It is a good swimmer but prefers to feed on land, where its relatively short, serrated-edged bill makes it well-suited to grazing on the short tundra vegetation.

Habits: The snow goose is one of the few species that are able to survive in the harsh environment of the Arctic region. Its breeding season coincides with the brief Arctic summer. The snow goose raises its young in a land virtually free from competitors, predators, and human disturbance. From June to August, the snow goose inhabits the Arctic tundra of northeastern Siberia, North America, and Greenland. It generally settles into low, sheltered ground near the water.
Almost as soon as the newborns can fly at the end of summer, the geese migrate south. Most geese will cross the Bering Sea and head for the northwest coast of the United States, before moving south to California and the Gulf of Mexico. Migrating flocks can be so dense that they block out the sun.

Birdwatch: The snow goose is one of the easiest geese to identify. It is entirely white except for its black wing tips, pink legs, and a black-bordered crimson bill. Because they travel in such large flocks, they are easily visible on their migration routes. The best places to observe the snow goose in winter are in national wildlife refuges on the east, west, and Gulf coasts.

Key Facts: Sizes, Breeding, Lifestyle, and Related Species:
Sizes:
Length: 25-30 in.
Wingspan: 50-65 in.
Weight: Lesser, 5-6 lb. Greater, 6-7 lb.

Breeding:
Sexual maturity: 2-3 years
Breeding season: From mid-June
No. of broods: 1
Eggs: 4-5 creamy white
Incubation: 22-23 days
Fledging period: About 40 days

Lifestyle:
Habit: Sociable and migratory
Diet: Grass, grain, berries, water plants, and insects
Lifespan: Typically 3 years. Captive birds, 15-20 years

Related Species: The snow goose is one of 15 species of true geese and brants. Similar in appearance to the smaller Ross’s Goose (Chen rossii).
Distribution: Breeds in northeastern Siberia, Arctic North America, and Greenland. Migrates mainly to California and Mexico, but also to eastern coast of North America, Japan, and China.
Conservation: Although one of the most numerous of all goose species, increased exploitation of the Arctic by man could threaten its mass breeding sites.

Snow Goose Varieties: The wide variation in size and color of snow geese presented bird experts with a puzzle for many years. The greater snow goose, A. c. atlanticus, is larger than the lesser and breeds in Canada and Greenland. Once thought to be a separate species, the blue goose is a color variety of the lesser snow goose. Much of its plumage is gray, tinged with blue on the back and wing.

Did You Know:
All 15 species of true geese inhabit the Northern hemisphere.
Snow geese fly in V-formation to reduce wind drag and the risk of collision.
A pure white snow goose may breed with a blue snow goose, producing offspring of varying shades.
The snow goose is the noisiest of all geese; it has a shrill honk that can be heard long before it flies into view.
Lesser snow geese may be the most abundant of all wild geese.