Species Name: Chen caerulescens - Snow goose.

Height: Length: 19 inches Wingspan: 58-59 inches.

Description: This medium sized long neck goose usually gathers in flocks. . Until recently, the Blue Geese, as the dark birds were called, were considered a separate species. They are now recognized as merely a dark form (or "morph") of the Snow Goose.

Summer Range: The snow goose spends its summer in scattered colonies north of the tree line from northern Alaska across arctic Canada to Greenland and also in northeastern Siberia.

Winter Range: This species winters primarily in central California, western Gulf Coast, and the middle Atlantic coast. It is also seen in lesser numbers in Pacific Northwest, in the central states, and the Southwest and central Mexico.

Habitat: Snow Geese breed n the northern tundra and are seen in the fall migrating south in very large, high-flying, noisy flocks. The swirling white of a descending flock suggests snow, but among the white birds are darker individuals. It is entirely vegetarian and feeds in water logged soil, shallow water and grain fields.

Courtship: Courtship displays and pairing take place in spring, during a goose's second spring migration. Pairs remain together for life.

Nesting: Snow Geese nest on a scrape in the ground. This nest is lined with plant material and down feathers.The eggs are creamy white to dirty gray. The clutches are usually only two to as many as six eggs. The chicks are covered with down and their eyes are open. They leave the nest within 24 hours of hatching and have the ability to swim and feed.

Voice: Noisy. Call a loud nasal "whouk".

Cool facts: Snow Goose hunting in the eastern United States was stopped in 1916 because of low population levels. Hunting was allowed again in 1975 after populations had increased. Populations have been growing so large that the geese are destroying nesting habitat. Hunting has not slowed the dramatic increases in population size.

The dark color of the blue morph Snow Goose is controlled by a single gene, with dark being partially dominant over white. If a pure dark goose mates with a white goose, the offspring will all be dark (possibly with white bellies). If two white geese mate, they have only white offspring. If two dark geese mate, they will have mostly dark offspring, but might have a few white ones too.

Parents stay with their young through the first winter. Families travel together on both the southbound and northbound migrations, separating only after they return to the arctic breeding grounds. Family groups can easily be seen in migrating and wintering flocks.

Tips on photographing this species: Snow Geese are easily found but getting close is a problem. Since these birds are hunted they tend to be wary of people making photography difficult.

Exposure can be tricky on the brilliantly white birds. Digital can be a great asset for checking exposure. As a general rule I start with -2/3 exposure compensation and work from there.

For birds in flight capturing the detail of the under wing can be tricky but is essential for pleasing photographs.

References: Cornell Lab of Ornithology - All About Birds - Bird Guide

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