From Opus

Chen caerulescens

Photo by richard bledsoe
Photo taken: New Mexico, USA

Foraging group showing Dark adults (R) and Juveniles (L).
Photo by Gary Clark.
Location: Bay City, Texas, USA

[edit] Identification

• Entirely white except black primaries
• Head and neck usually stained rusty brown
• Pink bill with grin patch
• Dark adults have black bodies with white necks and heads, juveniles dark all over. All intermediates possible.

Separating from Ross's Goose - Snow Goose has longer neck and bill. Ross's Goose has short neck and stubby bill that lacks grin patch.

[edit] Distribution

Extreme northern Arctic in summer. Southern U.S. and Mexico, notably along coasts, but also at inland marshy reserves.

[edit] Taxonomy

There are two recognized subspecies.^[1]

• C. c. caerulescens
  • Breeds and winters around the Pacific Ocean
• C. c. atlantica
  • Breeds and winters on land bordering western Atlantic Ocean

[edit] Habitat

Nests of Arctic tundra in large colonies. Migrates southward in winter to marshy areas with adjacent fields.

[edit] Behaviour

Highly gregarious; nest, migrate, and forage in large flocks. Noisy, especially on takeoff. Fly in large V formations.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist.

[edit] External Links