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Goose Hunting Info
The Snow Goose
The Snow goose is a North American medium-sized goose which breeds in the northern part of Canada and in Siberia (also in the northern part). The Snow goose winters in southern U.S.A. This type of goose can be found on the British Isles where they cohabitate with flocks of Greenland White-footed, Brent and Barnacle geese. There is small population of Snow geese in Scotland as well.
Their size ranges between 69 to 89 cm (approximately 27 to 33 inches) and a wingspan of about 138cm (approximately 54 inches). As far as weight is concerned, the values go from 1600 to 3300 g (approximately 56 to 116 ounces).
The Snow goose has two subspecies: the Lesser Snow goose which lives in central northern part of Canada throughout the Bering Straits region. It usually occurs in two plumage morphs. The white morph geese are mainly white, only the wing tips are black; blue morph geese have a bluish-grey plumage which replaces the white except the one from the neck, head and the tail tip part. The Greater Snow goose can be found throughout north and eastern area of Canada.
This type of geese usually eat plant material which they find in shallow waters or land. Outside their nesting season, they search for food in flocks. In the winter periods, they eat primarily left-over grain which they find in fields. The Snow geese are entirely vegetarians, eating a wide variety of plant species ranging from aquatic plants to grain and grasses. As far as migration is concerned, they migrate in flocks, usually visiting traditional stopover spots in large numbers.
Just like almost all the other species of goose, they mate for life, changing partners when one of them dies. Clutch size is between 2 and 6 eggs which are creamy white (to dirty gray). There aren't any sex differences except the fact that the males are larger in dimensions.
The parents stay with their young through the entire first winter. The families migrate together, separating only after arriving to the arctic breeding areas.
The Snow goose is, in some aspects, similar with the Ross' goose but the ladder is smaller and it has a much smaller bill without the grin patch. In the beginning of the 20th century the Snow goose population was declining but, in the present, there are no endangerment risks. As a matter of fact, in some regions, hunting is even encouraged in order to reduce the Snow goose populations due to the fact that these birds are destroying nesting habitats.
Their size ranges between 69 to 89 cm (approximately 27 to 33 inches) and a wingspan of about 138cm (approximately 54 inches). As far as weight is concerned, the values go from 1600 to 3300 g (approximately 56 to 116 ounces).
The Snow goose has two subspecies: the Lesser Snow goose which lives in central northern part of Canada throughout the Bering Straits region. It usually occurs in two plumage morphs. The white morph geese are mainly white, only the wing tips are black; blue morph geese have a bluish-grey plumage which replaces the white except the one from the neck, head and the tail tip part. The Greater Snow goose can be found throughout north and eastern area of Canada.
This type of geese usually eat plant material which they find in shallow waters or land. Outside their nesting season, they search for food in flocks. In the winter periods, they eat primarily left-over grain which they find in fields. The Snow geese are entirely vegetarians, eating a wide variety of plant species ranging from aquatic plants to grain and grasses. As far as migration is concerned, they migrate in flocks, usually visiting traditional stopover spots in large numbers.
Nests can be found in elevated locations on the ground which are built with plant material.
Just like almost all the other species of goose, they mate for life, changing partners when one of them dies. Clutch size is between 2 and 6 eggs which are creamy white (to dirty gray). There aren't any sex differences except the fact that the males are larger in dimensions.
The parents stay with their young through the entire first winter. The families migrate together, separating only after arriving to the arctic breeding areas.
The Snow goose is, in some aspects, similar with the Ross' goose but the ladder is smaller and it has a much smaller bill without the grin patch. In the beginning of the 20th century the Snow goose population was declining but, in the present, there are no endangerment risks. As a matter of fact, in some regions, hunting is even encouraged in order to reduce the Snow goose populations due to the fact that these birds are destroying nesting habitats.
Snow Geese Video