A medium-sized goose that breeds on the arctic tundra, the Snow Goose travels south in very large, high-flying, noisy flocks. The swirling white of a descending flock suggests snow, but among the white birds are darker individuals. Until recently, the Blue Geese, as the dark birds were called, were considered a separate species. They are now recognized as merely a dark form (or "morph") of the Snow Goose.

Interesting Information

• Snow Goose hunting in the eastern United States was stopped in 1916 because of low population levels. Hunting was allowed again in 1975 after populations had increased. Populations have been growing so large that the geese are destroying nesting habitat. Hunting has not slowed the dramatic increases in population size.

• One nest was found to be attended by two female Snow Geese, but no male. Each female had been inseminated by a different male and both incubated the eggs.

• The dark color of the blue morph Snow Goose is controlled by a single gene, with dark being partially dominant over white. If a pure dark goose mates with a white goose, the offspring will all be dark (possibly with white bellies). If two white geese mate, they have only white offspring. If two dark geese mate, they will have mostly dark offspring, but might have a few white ones too.

• Parents stay with their young through the first winter. Families travel together on both the southbound and northbound migrations, separating only after they return to the arctic breeding grounds. Family groups can easily be seen in migrating and wintering flocks.

• During migration the Snow Goose flies so high it can barely be seen. They form shifting curved lines and arcs as they fly.

• Hunters call these birds "Wavies." The name in derived from the Chippewa name for this bird, wewe.

• During the summer their heads' are often stained red as a result of gathering food in mud containing iron oxides.

• A group of geese has many collective nouns, including a "blizzard", "chevron", "knot", "plump", and "string" of geese.

Description