Lesser snow Goose
Chen caerulescens
Photographed at Toronto Zoo, Toronto, Canada Sep 2011
The Snow Goose has two colour plumage morphs, snow
white or blue gray, thus the common description as "snows" and
"blues."
Both types have rose-red feet and legs, and pink bills
with black cutting edges, giving them a black "grin patch." The head
can be stained rusty-brown from minerals in the soil where they feed. They are
very vocal and can often be heard from more than a mile away.
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.
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
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