Blue goose
The Snow goose (Anser caerulescens) is a North American species of goose whose name derives from the typically white plumage. These are birds of cold timberline that migrate more than 3,000 mi (4,800 km) from traditional wintering areas to the tundra. Their populations increased dramatically in the 20th century.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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HerbivoreA herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example, foliage, for the main component of its die...
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FolivoreIn zoology, a folivore is a herbivore that specializes in eating leaves. Mature leaves contain a high proportion of hard-to-digest cellulose, less ...
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GraminivoreIn zoology, a graminivore (not to be confused with a granivore) is an herbivorous animal that feeds primarily on grass. Graminivory is a form of g...
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SemiaquaticSemiaquatic animals are those that are primarily or partly terrestrial but that spend a large amount of time swimming or otherwise occupied in wate...
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WaterfowlWaterfowl are certain wildfowl of the order Anseriformes, especially members of the family Anatidae, which includes ducks, geese, and swans. They ...
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PrecocialPrecocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
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GrazingGrazing is a method of feeding in which a herbivore feeds on plants such as grasses, or other multicellular organisms such as algae. In agriculture...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
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CongregatoryCongregatory animals tend to gather in large numbers in specific areas as breeding colonies, for feeding, or for resting.
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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MonogamyMonogamy is a form of relationship in which both the male and the female has only one partner. This pair may cohabitate in an area or territory for...
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FlockingFlocking birds are those that tend to gather to forage or travel collectively. Avian flocks are typically associated with migration. Flocking also ...
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ColonialColonial animals live in large aggregations composed of two or more conspecific individuals in close association with or connected to, one another....
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MigratingAnimal migration is the relatively long-distance movement of individual animals, usually on a seasonal basis. It is the most common form of migrati...
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starts withThe Snow goose has two color plumage morphs, white (snow) or gray/blue (blue), thus the common description as "snows" and "blues". 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. The immature blue phase is drab or slate-gray with little to no white on the head, neck, or belly. Both snow and blue phases have rose-red feet and legs, and pink bills with black tomia ("cutting edges"), giving them a black "grin patch". The colors are not as bright on the feet, legs, and bill of immature birds. The head can be stained rusty-brown from minerals in the soil where they feed. White- and blue-morph birds interbreed and the offspring may be of either morph. These two colors of geese were once thought to be separate species; since they interbreed and are found together throughout their ranges, they are now considered two color phases of the same species. The color phases are genetically controlled. The dark phase results from a single dominant gene and the white phase is homozygous recessive. When choosing a mate, young birds will most often select a mate that resembles their parents' coloring. If the birds were hatched into a mixed pair, they will mate with either color phase.
Snow geese are found in many parts of North America: everywhere in the USA and Canada, also Mexico, British Columbia, and Greenland. Populations that live in cold regions, such as Siberia, migrate each year to a warmer climate. In winter many of them are found in Central America. Their breeding grounds are low grassy tundra which has flat basins, no far from a lake, river, flood plain, or sea. They like coastal lagoons, marshes, estuaries, and tidal flats but are also found on prairies and agricultural lands.
Snow geese are diurnal and tend to eat and be active during the day. Often they live in very large noisy flocks. They use vocalizations to communicate about territory issues, for establishing hierarchy, and with offspring and mates. They are very vocal and can often be heard from more than a mile away. During migration, they travel in large flocks of many family units. They fly both night and day and tend to go back to the same nesting year after year.
Snow geese are herbivorous (folivorous, graminivorous), eating roots, leaves, sedges, and grasses. In the breeding grounds in the north, the most common source of food is the American bulrush. They can also be found foraging in agricultural fields for leftover corn, oats, and winter wheat. They also take in some sort of grit to help their digestion, sand or shell fragments serving this purpose.
Snow geese form monogamous pairs. Males are territorial in relation to other males, and females toward other females. May to June is the nesting period. The males approach females and perform various dances and make sounds. If she responds, the couple then spend several days together. They engage in dancing rituals, possibly also finding and sharing food. The female lays 3 to 5 eggs, which are incubated for a period of 23 to 25 days. The male guards the mother and the nest throughout. The goslings leave the nest within a few hours of hatching. They feed themselves but are protected by both parents. The young fledge after 42 to 50 days and will stay with their parents for 2-3 years. Females become reproductively mature between 2 to 4 years old.
The main threat to this bird is from hunting, despite restrictions to protect them from overhunting. The Snow goose may degrade its own habitat during the early part of the breeding season by grubbing vigorously when seeking food, not only compromising its own breeding success but that of nesting shorebirds. Snow geese will suffer from lead poisoning if they take in fallen lead shot while they are foraging.
According to the IUCN Red List, the total Snow goose population size is around 5,300,000-6,200,000 individuals. The European population is estimated at 1,000-2,000 pairs, which is around 2,000-4,000 mature individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List, and its numbers today are increasing.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...