Newsletter / Blog
2011-11-21 George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary - Winter home of the Lesser Snow Goose.
The Snow Goose
- Chen caerulescens - also known as the Blue Goose, or the Lesser Snow Goose is a North American
species of goose.
Description
It has two color
plumage morphs, white or gray/blue. White-morph birds are white except for
black wing tips, but blue-morph geese have bluish-grey plumage replacing the
white except on the head, neck and tail tip. Both snow and blue phases have
rose-red feet and legs, and pink bills. The head can be stained rusty-brown
from minerals in the soil where they feed.
Call
They are very
vocal and can often be heard from more than a mile away.
Food
Marsh plants, Sedges,
Corn, Rice and Pasture Grasses.
Breeding
Lesser Snow Geese
generally mate for life. Long-term pair bonds are usually formed in the second
year, although breeding does not usually start until the third year. Females will
return to the place they hatched to breed. Snow Geese often nest in colonies.
Nesting usually begins at the end of May or during the first few days of June,
depending on snow conditions. The female selects a nest site and builds the
nest on an area of high ground. The nest is a shallow depression lined with
plant material and may be reused from year to year. After the female lays the
first of 3 to 5 eggs, she lines the nest with down. The female incubates for 22
to 25 days, and the young leave the nest within a few hours of hatching. The
young feed themselves, but are protected by both parents. After 42 to 50 days
they can fly, but they remain with their family until they are 2 to 3 years old.
Birdwatching
These
beautiful Geese can be seen at the George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary is one of Canada's top bird-watching sites,
one hour's drive from the City of Vancouver, British Columbia. |