Snow Goose (Anser caerulescens)
Species
Snow Goose (Anser caerulescens). Taken at Farmoor, Oxon., on February 18th 2021.
Taken at Farmoor, Oxon., on February 18th 2021.
(1/1250th sec at f8. Click image for larger version. © David Hastings)
Snow Goose (Anser caerulescens). Taken at Farmoor, Oxon., on February 15th 2018.
Taken at Farmoor, Oxon., on February 15th 2018.
(1/4000th sec at f10. Click image for larger version. © David Hastings)
Snow Goose (Anser caerulescens). Blue morph. Taken at Farmoor, Oxon., on October 18th 2021.
Blue morph. Taken at Farmoor, Oxon., on October 18th 2021.
(1/800th sec at f9. Click image for larger version. © David Hastings)
Snow Goose (Anser caerulescens). Blue morph. Taken at Farmoor, Oxon., on February 15th 2018.
Blue morph. Taken at Farmoor, Oxon., on February 15th 2018.
(1/1600th sec at f8. Click image for larger version. © David Hastings)

Description

L: 63 - 79 cm; WS: 135 - 165 cm

The Snow Goose is a North American species, but vagrants occasionally occur in the British Isles, and there is also a feral population in Scotland. It has two color plumage morphs, white and grey/blue. White-morph birds are all-white except for black wing tips, but blue-morphs have bluish-grey plumage replacing the white except on the head, neck and tail tip. The immature blue morph is drab or slate-gray with little to no white on the head, neck, or belly.

This species breeds in the far north of Canada, and migrates to the southern USA and Mexico for the winter.

Birds nest in colonies on the tundra. In winter they will feed on any grain crop they encounter.

This species is of least concern; the world population is estimated at over 5 million birds.

Sightings

02-Feb-2024 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (c70)

17-Nov-2023 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (1)
07-Nov-2023 : Slimbridge, Glos (1)
04-Apr-2023 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (1)
20-Jan-2023 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (87)

05-Apr-2022 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (47)
28-Mar-2022 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon
23-Feb-2022 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (65)

18-Oct-2021 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (72)
14-Oct-2021 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (c72)
29-Apr-2021 : Otmoor, Oxon (2)
01-Apr-2021 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (c100)
23-Mar-2021 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (c100)
26-Feb-2021 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (c.100)
18-Feb-2021 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (c100)
28-Jan-2021 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (c100)
22-Jan-2021 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (99)

09-Dec-2020 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (c100)
04-Nov-2020 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon
20-Mar-2020 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (c100)
03-Mar-2020 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (c100)
27-Feb-2020 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (c100)
10-Jan-2020 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (100+)
05-Jan-2020 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (c100)
01-Jan-2020 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (104)

21-Dec-2019 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (104)
08-Dec-2019 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (90+)
03-Dec-2019 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon
19-Sep-2019 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (1)
17-Apr-2019 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (94)
07-Apr-2019 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (94)
31-Mar-2019 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (94)
28-Mar-2019 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (94)
23-Mar-2019 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (94)
21-Mar-2019 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (94)
17-Mar-2019 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (94)

31-Oct-2018 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (105)
05-Apr-2018 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (93)
01-Apr-2018 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (94)
29-Mar-2018 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (94)
04-Mar-2018 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (c90)
15-Feb-2018 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (c90)
06-Jan-2018 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (c90)

31-Oct-2017 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (88)

27-Jan-2013 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (50+)

31-Oct-2009 : Otmoor, Oxon (2)

20-May-2007 : Otmoor, Oxon (2)

25-Sep-2005 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon

31-Oct-2002 : Joshua Tree National Park, California