Fun Snow Goose Facts For Kids

A snow goose (Anser caerulescens) is a type of goose with two subspecies, namely the white snow goose and the blue goose. These birds are migratory by nature and can be found in the regions of Arctic tundra and North American countries like the U.S, and Canada, depending upon their breeding season and when it is winter in these places. The population of this bird can be found in freshwater marshes, fields and farmlands, ponds, and grasses, where they feed on a variety of plant species. Snow geese sounds are well known because of their different variations. The rapid increase in their population is posing a serious ecological threat as they are destroying breeding grounds in Arctic regions, which is also a habitat used by other species. Not only are they self-destructing, but they are posing a threat to other species as well. These North American birds form pairs in the season of spring.

If you are fascinated by snow geese, then you may want to continue reading this article. If you want to learn more about different animals, you can read about a swan and a mountain bluebird.

What type of animal is a snow goose?

A snow goose is a species of geese that is native to the regions of North America.

What class of animal does a snow goose belong to?

A snow goose belongs to the Aves class of animals.

How many snow geese are there in the world?

According to several estimates, populations of lesser snow geese stand at 15 million, while populations of greater snow geese are at one million. Their population is increasing at a 5% rate each year. Their hunting has also failed to reduce their growing population.

Where does a snow goose live?

Snow geese are migratory animals. Areas of Greenland, Alaska, Canada, and northern Siberia are their breeding grounds. The wintering grounds of these birds are generally in the regions of North America, such as the U.S, and Mexico, especially the Gulf coastal plain.

What is a snow goose's habitat?

This bird can be found in coastal marshes, saltwater marshes and freshwater marshes, grasslands, ponds, and agricultural fields.

Who do snow geese live with?

Snow geese tend to move and feed in large flocks. Very frequently, they can also be found traveling and feeding alongside greater white-fronted geese, unlike Canada geese, whom both these species try to avoid.

How long does a snow goose live?

The longest time a snow goose has been known to live is beyond 30 years!

How do they reproduce?

Snow geese breed in the months of late May to the middle of August when they meet at their breeding grounds. Nesting starts at the end of May or in June when females select an area of high ground to build their nests where they will lay their eggs. An average female can lay up to three to five eggs. The incubation period for females is generally 22-25 days. Juveniles are capable of feeding themselves within 24 hours of hatching and are protected by their parents until they are two to three years old. After 42 to 50 days, the chicks are able to fly.

What is their conservation status?

The conservation status of snow geese is listed as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Their population is increasing every year, and the idea of snow geese hunting has been unsuccessful in bringing down their population.

What do snow geese look like?

A snow goose, as the name suggests, has a plumage that is white in color, while those of a blue goose are darker and bluish-gray in color. A blue snow goose morph is blue or gray in color except for the areas of their head, neck, and tail. Their feet and legs are of rose-red color. Because of the difference in their plumage colors, they were once considered to be two entirely separate species, However, snow geese and blue geese are the same species with different plumage colors. These birds can be seen wintering in the regions of the U.S and Mexico, and their breeding grounds include the areas of Sub Arctic and Arctic tundra.

How cute are they?

Snow geese are exceptionally beautiful and cute, given the colored plumage of blue geese and their pink bills with a black cutting edge structure known as tomia. A person is sure to get mesmerized when encountered by one such species of bird.

How do they communicate?

Snow geese are extremely vocal and can be heard from long distances. The most common sound emitted by this species is the one-syllable honk, which is made by both males and females. Their flight call generally includes a series of shrill cries and high-pitched quacks which can be heard both during the day and night.

How big is a snow goose?

These North American birds can be divided into two subspecies, namely, lesser snow goose (C. c. caerulescens) and greater snow goose(C. c. atlanticus). A lesser snow goose can grow up to a length of 25-31 in (64-79 cm). The height of an average greater snow goose is 31 in (79 cm). A greater snow goose is larger in size than a lesser snow goose.

How fast can a snow goose fly?

The speed of these birds, in general, is 50 mph (80 kph) in flight. The wingspan of both of the subspecies of snow geese is 53-65 in (135-165 cm). When they are migrating, they tend to fly both during the day and night.

How much does a snow goose weigh?

A lesser snow goose weighs around 4.5-6.0 lb (2.05-2.7 kg). In comparison, the average weight of a greater snow goose, which is larger in size, is 9.9lb (4.5 kg).

What are their male and female names of the species?

A female is generally called a 'goose', while 'gander' is used to describe a male of this species.

What would you call a baby snow goose?

A juvenile snow goose is called a 'gosling'.

What do they eat?

A snow goose is a herbivore by nature, and its diet generally consists of various plant species, grasses, and grains, willows, and rushes, found by digging their strong bills into the ground for food.

Are they aggressive?

These birds are generally considered to be aggressive feeders. When they feed in flocks, geese in the last row of the flock often jump and fight with those at the front to get the best quality of food.

Would they make a good pet?

No, these species do not make good pets. They are wild animals who feed and travel in flocks and should be kept that way only. Moreover, keeping a snow goose as a pet is considered to be illegal in many places.

Did You Know...

Many communities of people consider snow goose meat to be delicious if cooked properly. Young geese are considered to be much tastier than adult ones. One of the most well known methods of cooking a delicious dish of snow goose is by slow cooking, which keeps the meat intact as well as the juice of the meat, thus stopping the meat from drying out. Using a crockpot while cooking is also considered to be a great technique to keep the meat intact.

One of the easiest and cheapest methods of building a snow goose decoy is by cutting cardboard in the shape of a snow goose. The next step is to form an 'X' on its body by using black tapes to represent the way its wings look when it folds them while eating. The final step is to fold the body in half to give it a more realistic three-dimensional look.

The easiest way to blow a snow goose call is by positioning your thumbs in such a manner that they are laid down side by side and then place some pressure on the bottom of your palms in a way that a sound chamber is formed. Following this, place your fingertips of the offhand on to the knuckles of the on-hand to help build the pressure required to make the call. For people who are right-handed, the left hand is the on-hand. This helps you to mimic how a snow goose sounds.

A snow goose is known to breed with the same partner and mate for life. Therefore while choosing a mate, younger ones tend to choose those who represent the plumage color of their parents.

A female snow goose is philopatric by nature, that is, it returns to its nesting area where snow geese breed.

The biggest predators of snow geese eggs are Arctic foxes and coyotes. Bald eagles and golden eagles are known to regularly attack wintering geese.

Young ones are known to have a rapid growth rate and maintain a constant body temperature by themselves. The growth rate of males, in particular, is faster than that of females.

The lifespan of these birds is long which makes it difficult for hunters to fool with their decoys.

How much time do snow geese spend eating?

Snow geese have the capacity to gulp down large quantities of food on a daily basis. During the season of winter, they have been known to feed for almost two to seven hours every day. Their digestive metabolism is really fast, which helps them feed on a huge amount of food daily. During migration, snow geese have been known to feed for more than 12 hours per day.

What is the oldest recorded snow goose?

The oldest recorded snow goose was known to live for 30 years and eight months. It was shot in Texas in 1999 and many more such cases have been found.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds including magpie, or African pygmy goose.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our snow goose coloring pages.