Ross' Goose

Scientific Name - Chen rossii

Ross' Goose

Identification Tips:

Length: 16 inches
Wingspan: 51 inches
Sexes similar
Small goose
Different color morphs
Sometimes hybridizes with similar Snow Goose

White morph-adult

Entirely white plumage
Black primaries
Pink legs and feet
Pink bill

White morph-immature

Mostly white plumage-pale gray upperparts
Black primaries
Dark legs and feet
Dark bill

Blue morph-adult

White head and upper neck
Dark lower neck and body
Pale gray wing upperwing coverts
Scapulars dark-centered with white edges
Mostly dark primaries and secondaries
Pink legs and feet
Pink bill

Similar species:

White morph Ross's Goose is extemely similar to the white morph Snow Goose. The Ross's Goose is smaller with a stubbier bill without the black patch on the mandibles. It also appears rounder-headed with a shorter neck. Immature white morph Snow Goose is darker-backed than the immature white morph Ross's Goose. The rare blue morph of the Ross's Goose can be separated from the similar blue morph of the Snow Goose by the same structural characteristics already mentioned. Hybrids between Ross's and Snow Geese have intermediate characteristics.

Diet:

Almost Exclusively: Plant Matter

Lesser Quantities of: Aquatic Invertebrates