Ross's Goose

Ross's Goose Visits New Brunswick

Ross's Goose

For the last two weeks a Ross's Goose has been spending time with a flock of Canada Geese at Central Hampstead, down river from Fredericton.   It was first reported on September 17 and, according to local residents, had been there for about 2 weeks.  The flock feeds in a large field above the road and moves between there and the field and river below the road.

The Ross's Goose is listed as 'accidental' to New Brunswick.  That means it is very rarely here.  But the population is reportedly increasing in the last 50 years.  One was reported from Harvey Bank in 1995; another was with a flock of Canada Geese and Snow Geese at Ste-Marie-de-Kent on the 20 October 2013.  It is certainly not a species one would see very often here.

The Ross's Goose breeds on tundra in the central high Arctic islands and the north shores of Nunavut and North West Territories.  It normally uses the central flyway to migrate south to the south central US (Texas, Mississippi) and Mexico.  It often associates with Snow Geese.

Ross's Goose [Internet Photo]

 The Ross's Goose is smaller than the Snow Goose, the only species with which it could be mistaken.  The Ross's Goose is 58 cm (23 in)  long compared to the Snow Goose 66-84 cm (26-33 in).  The Ross's Goose has a smaller rounder head, shorter neck and smaller bill than the Snow Goose.  It lacks the 'smile line' which the Snow Goose has, an important identifying feature.  This dark line along the bottom mandible of the Snow Goose is lacking in the Ross's Goose.  The bill of the Ross's Goose is small, pink and triangular.  Its legs are pink.

Both the Ross's Goose and the Snow Goose species have blue morph individuals although they are rarer in the Ross's Goose.  The Ross's Goose blue morph shows less white on the head and neck than the Snow Goose blue morph.  See the photo above for both forms of the Ross's Goose.  Note that the blue morph has white only on the face and the nape and rest of the neck are dark.  The Snow Goose blue morph has a completely white head and most of the neck.

The Ross's Goose was first reported anecdotally by the explorer, Samuel Hearne, in 1770.  The species was not scientifically described until 1881.  Its nesting grounds were not discovered until 1940.  Sometimes a group of this species is called a 'blizzard' of geese.  That is understandable if one saw a large number of them flying over a cold, late fall landscape.

They feed on grass, sedges, small grains and they especially like wheat and barley.  Modern agriculture has undoubtedly contributed to the population increase.