Medium-sized goose
Black patch on bill edges, the "grinning patch" or "smile"
Two color forms
White morph: White all over, except for black primaries
Blue morph: White head and front of neck, body dark gray-brown
Size: 27-33 in
Wingspan: 54 in
Weight: 56-117 ounces
Sexes look alike, male larger.

Syllables:   snow goose
Pronunciation:   sno gus  

NOTES

1.  Price (See above)

2.  Price is for print only. Price does not taxes**.

3.  At this time framing is not an option available online.

4.  All sales in US dollars.

5.  New York State residents must include sales tax**

** Tax will be applied to orders shipped to New York State.

The Snow Goose (Chen caerulescens)
is a North American species of goose. Its name derives from the typically white plumage.

The American Ornithologists' Union places this species and the other two "white" geese in the genus Chen, while some other authorities place it in the more traditional "gray" goose genus Anser.

at the Bosque del Apache, New Mexico: note blue-phase bird at far left

This goose breeds in northern Canada and the northeastern tip of Siberia, and winters much further south in the continent in the southern USA and beyond. These birds migrate in large flocks, often visiting traditional stopover habitats in spectacular numbers.

The larger of the two subspecies, the Greater Snow Goose, nests to the north of eastern Canada. The smaller subspecies, the Lesser Snow Goose, commonly occurs in two plumage variants. White-phase birds are white except for black wing tips, but blue-phase geese have bluish-gray plumage replacing most of the white except on the head, neck and tail tip. White- and blue-phase birds do interbreed and the young may be of either type. Blue-phase birds are rare among the Greater Snow Geese.

Bosque del Apache, New Mexico: note two blue-phase birds in center

This species is a rare vagrant to Europe, but a frequent escape from collections and an occasional feral breeder.

The nest is usually located in a slightly elevated location on the ground, built with plant material and lined with down.

These birds mainly eat plant material found in shallow water or on land. Outside of the nesting season, they usually feed in flocks. In winter, these birds feed on leftover grain in fields.

The population of Greater Snow Geese was in decline at the beginning of the 20th century, but has now recovered to sustainable levels.

Snow Goose 

Scientific classification

         Kingdom:  Animalia
         Phylum:   Chordata
         Class:   Aves
         Order:   Anseriformes
         Family:   Anatidae
         Genus:   Chen
         Species:   Caerulescens

Binomial name
Chen caerulescens