Biological Characteristics
of the Greater Snow Goose
Its body is all white except for its black primary feather at the wing tips. You can often find a rusty-orange tint on its head caused by the traces of iron found in the mud where it digs for food. Its beak and legs are pink. The juvenile is light gray with a dark beak. Regardless of its age, the blackish cutting edges of its beak form an arch that looks like a smile. You could not find a more friendly looking bird!
Autres nouvelles sur les Oies
About the Greater Snow Goose:
- Can walk up to 30 km even on its first day of life.
- Can fly as fast as 95 km per hour and fly nonstop for up to 1 000 km.
- It mates for life and the male contributes to the upbringing of youngsters.
- Known to be the noisiest waterfowl, it can be heard from far away!
- Has an average lifespan of 8 years but can live up to 20 years.
- It flies merely 4 000 km during its migration.
- À l’âge d’une journée, elle peut marcher sur une distance allant jusqu’à 30 km…
To find out more, go to:
- Environment Canada – Snow Goose, biological informations
- Hinterland Who’s Who – Birds facts sheets, Greater Snow Goose
Did I just see a blue goose?
The Greater Snow Goose is known for its white colour and its habit of traveling in large groups. However, 4% of them are dark blue. They are called Blue Geese because of most of their feathers have a greyish-blue colour. Surprisingly, blue geese prefer to mate among each other, the blue with the blue and the white with the white!