Snow goose

The snow goose (Chen caerulescens or Anser caerulescens), also known as the blue goose, is a North American species of goose. Its name comes from its white feathers. Some authorities place this species in the Chen genus.Kenn Kaufman, Lives of North American Birds (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2001), p. 75 Other authorities place these species in the "gray goose" genus Anser.Malcolm A. Ogilvie, Wildfowl of the World (London: New Holland Publishers, 2002), p. 38 In addition to a white phase they also have a blue phase.Ducks, Geese and Swans, ed. Janet Kear (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005), pp. 297–298 In the white phase they are all-white except for their primary feathers which are black. In the blue phase the head and upper neck remain white.

 Subspecies 

There are two known subspecies:

 Lesser Snow goose - Breeds in Alaska, arctic Canada and Siberia. In winter they migrate to western and southern USA and Mexico.M. A. Ogilvie; Steve Young, Wildfowl of the World (London: New Holland, 2002), p. 38
 Greater Snow goose - It breeds in eastern arctic Canada and Greenland. It winters along the US Atlantic coast. It is slightly larger than the Lesser Snow goose and has a heavier bill.

 Related pages 
 Goose
 Magellan Goose

 References 

 Other websites 

 Snow Goose Species Account – Cornell Lab of Ornithology
The Nature Conservancy's Species profile: Snow Goose  Learn more about the conservation of these geese
 Snow Goose - Chen caerulescens  – USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter

Category:Geese
Category:Birds of North America