Snow Goose
| Irish Name: | Gé Shneachta |
| Scientific name: | Anser caerulescens |
| Bird Family: | Geese |
green
Conservation status
Conservation status
Status
A rare winter visitor from October to March.
Identification
Slightly smaller than Greylag Goose and more compact than that species. Two phases (types) can occur in Ireland, the most typical and obvious being the white-phase. This appears like an all-white Greylag Goose, except for a large black patch on the wings (primary feathers). Blue-phase Snow Geese are markedly different, with only the head and part of the neck being white. The rest of the body is dark brown. Escaped Domestic Geese may resemble either type of Snow Goose, but generally be distinguished by their size.
Voice
Usually silent when seen in Ireland.
Diet
Snow Geese in Ireland feed with other geese on grasses and cereal stubble.
Breeding
Breeds in the taiga of Alaska, Canada and increasingly in Greenland.
Wintering
Winters in large flocks along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the United States. One or two individuals may associate with Greenland White-fronted Geese by mistake and end up wintering in Ireland. This species is also regularly kept in bird collections and escaped individuals can be seen at all times of the year.
Monitored by
A rare winter visitor almost always associating with other geese at lowland sites. Snow Geese have been regularly sighted at the North Slob in County Wexford.
Generally a North American vagrant but escaped and feral birds are widespread albeit uncommon and mix with flocks such as Canada Geese.
