Winters from Alaska, southern Canada to Mexico. The most outstanding characteristic is the white patch running onto each side of the head. The bill and legs are black. The feet have 3 webbed toes pointing forward, a fourth toe points backward. Behavior These geese are social birds but only mingle with their own kind.
Mates are fiercely loyal to each other.
The larger the family the greater their status in the flock. This goose constantly feeds while wintering in the south. When traveling, they fly in V-formation 3,000 or more feet in the air at a speed of 40 miles per hour. Migrating to the north, they return to the marshes where they were born. They are migrant throughout their range.