Index of Species Information
WILDLIFE SPECIES: Anser caerulescens
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| Snow goose flock. Image by Terry Spivey, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org. |
Introductory
WILDLIFE SPECIES: Anser caerulescens
AUTHORSHIP AND CITATION:
Snyder, S. A. 1993. Anser caerulescens. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online].
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station,
Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available:
www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/animals/bird/ance/all.html [].
Revisions:
On 21 November 2018, the scientific name of this species was changed in FEIS
from: Chen caerulescens
to: Anser caerulescens. The images were also added.
ABBREVIATION:
ANCE
COMMON NAMES:
snow goose
greater snow goose
lesser snow goose
blue goose
TAXONOMY:
The scientific name of the snow goose is Anser caerulescens (Linnaeus)
[21]. There are two subspecies of snow goose: A. caerulescens atlanticus
(greater snow goose) and A. caerulescens caerulescens (lesser snow goose).
Greater snow geese tend to have larger bills and heavier bodies than
lesser snow geese [16,19].
SYNONYMS:
Chen caerulescens (Linnaeus) [20]
ORDER:
Anseriformes
CLASS:
Bird
FEDERAL LEGAL STATUS:
No special status
OTHER STATUS:
The snow goose has one of the largest populations of any goose in the
world, ranking behind only the Canada goose (Branta canadensis) in
population size and harvest numbers [15].
WILDLIFE DISTRIBUTION AND OCCURRENCE
WILDLIFE SPECIES: Anser caerulescens
GENERAL DISTRIBUTION:
Snow geese breed in the Arctic tundra region of North America, including
the Arctic archipelago, and winter in the southern United States
(primarily Texas and Louisiana) and Mexico. They also winter along the
Atlantic seaboard from Virginia south to North Carolina, and in
California, New Mexico, and Arizona [16]. In recent years snow geese
have expanded their wintering range into Iowa, Missouri, and Kansas,
presumably due to the amount of agricultural land [1]. Occasionally
snow geese are found in Hawaii [16]. Only those areas where snow geese
winter and breed have been included in the States list , although they
are temporarily found in all states along the Atlantic, Central, and
Pacific Flyways during migration from August through November and
February through March [15,16].
ECOSYSTEMS:
FRES38 Plains grasslands
FRES39 Prairie
FRES41 Wet grasslands
FRES42 Annual grasslands
FRES44 Alpine
STATES:
| AK |
AZ |
AR |
CA |
HI |
IA |
KS |
MO |
MT |
NE |
NJ |
NM |
NC |
OK |
OR |
TX |
VA |
WA |
BLM PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS:
1 Northern Pacific Border
3 Southern Pacific Border
4 Sierra Mountains
5 Columbia Plateau
6 Upper Basin and Range
7 Lower Basin and Range
8 Northern Rocky Mountains
9 Middle Rocky Mountains
10 Wyoming Basin
11 Southern Rocky Mountains
12 Colorado Plateau
13 Rocky Mountain Piedmont
14 Great Plains
16 Upper Missouri Basin and Broken Lands
KUCHLER PLANT ASSOCIATIONS:
K048 California steppe
K049 Tule marshes
K052 Alpine meadows and barren
K070 Sandsage - bluestem prairie
K072 Sea oats prairie
K073 Northern cordgrass prairie
K075 Nebraska Sandhills prairie
K077 Bluestem - sacahuista prairie
K078 Southern cordgrass prairie
K113 Southern floodplain forest
K114 Pocosin
SAF COVER TYPES:
None
PLANT COMMUNITIES:
Snow geese inhabit tundra communities and wetlands composed of cattail
(Typha spp.), reed (Phragmites spp.), bulrush (Scirpus spp.), sedge
(Carex spp.), panic grass (Panicum spp.), saltgrass (Distichlis spp.),
cordgrass (Spartina spp.), and wildrice (Zizaniopsis spp.) [13].
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| Blue and white color phases of snow goose. Images by Alfred Viola, Northeastern University, Bugwood.org. |
BIOLOGICAL DATA AND HABITAT REQUIREMENTS
WILDLIFE SPECIES: Anser caerulescens
TIMING OF MAJOR LIFE HISTORY EVENTS:
Pair Formation- second winter of life; usually monogamous
Nesting- June, usually in large colonies
Clutch- three to four eggs over a 12-day period
Incubation- 22 days
Fledge- 42 days
Maturity- 2 years but often not successful nesters until 3 years
[7,13,16]
PREFERRED HABITAT:
Snow geese prefer coastal lagoons and marshes, agricultural land and
adjacent prairies, tidal flats, estuaries, and tundra areas [15]. They
roost in large flocks on dry, flat land on wintering grounds and feed on
inland lakes and marshes or large estuaries. During cold weather snow
geese will roost in places with tall marsh vegetation, such as common
reed (Phragmites australis) [15]. Sometimes geese create their own
roost sites by grazing vegetation so low that they are able to make
their own holes in the ground; these holes eventually turn into small
ponds. Snow geese tend to feed on tidal flats and deltas that have the
newest sediment deposits and where water is shallow (about 7.9 inches
[20 cm] deep). They will move inland with flooding or cool, windy
weather [15]. Lesser snow geese breed within 6 miles (10 km) of water
in low tundra, while greater snow geese choose rockier sites on the lee
side of mountains in wet tundra [16]. Snow geese often feed on
agricultural land when the tide is in or when crops are just emerging
[8].
COVER REQUIREMENTS:
Snow geese need areas free from human disturbance, since they will
abandon feeding or nesting areas if frequently disturbed [15]. Lesser
snow geese need low, grassy tundra for breeding with flat basins near
lakes, rivers, flood plains, or seas. Greater snow geese need rocky
terrain near grassy tundra and areas where flat, marshy lands are
protected from the north by mountains [13]. Mosses and grasses are
needed for nests, and large bodies of water are needed for flocking
since snow geese are gregarious birds [13]. In Manitoba studies have
shown that they tend to be more successful nesters in areas that have
tall willow (Salix spp.) shrubs (greater than 16 inches [40 cm])
compared to areas with short (less than 15 inches [30 cm]) or no willow
shrubs [12]. Presumably the shrubs offer protection from predators.
FOOD HABITS:
Snow geese feed primarily on emergent marsh vegetation. Some species
include saltgrass, wild millet (Echinochloa spp.), spikerush (Eleocharis
spp.), feathergrass (Leptochloa fascicularis), panic grass, seashore
paspalum (Paspalum baginatur), delta duckpotato (Sagittaria
platyphylla), bulrush, cordgrass, cattail, ryegrass (Lolium spp.), and
wild rice [15]. Rice is a very important food on wintering grounds in
Texas and Louisiana along with smartweed (Polygonum spp.), dropseed
(Sporobolus spp.), bluestem (Andropogon spp.), and fescue (Festuca spp.)
[13]. Puccinellia phryganodes is important in arctic salt marshes [2],
and corn is important in the Central Flyway states [1]. Because snow
geese do not have crops they must eat large amounts of food in a short
period of time [15]. They also need areas where they can eat grit in
the form of sand or shell fragments. They will often fly long distances
from feeding areas to get it [15].
PREDATORS:
Snow geese predators include humans and arctic foxes (Alopex lagopus).
On nesting grounds in the Soviet arctic reindeer (Rangifer spp.) can
destroy nesting colonies by trampling [16].
MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS:
Enhancing feeding areas with grit is an important management technique
to improve wintering grounds [15]. Sand and fine gravel used in road
surfacing could provide the necessary grit for snow geese food
digestion. They also need areas that provide fresh water for drinking,
although snow geese can use brackish water for a "considerable time"
[15].
Several studies demonstrated the effects of snow geese grazing on
certain food plants [2,3,10]. Along the Hudson Bay in Manitoba, geese
can delay the succession of Puccinellia phryganodes-Carex subspathacea
plant communities to Calamagrostis deschampsioides-Festuca rubra
communities through grazing, but they cannot prevent it entirely [10].
The latter is not preferred forage whereas the former is very important
in geese diets. Geese grazing on three-square bulrush (Scirpus
americanus) in Quebec resulted in a marked decrease in belowground
growth of plants compared to plots that were ungrazed for 3 years;
however, no difference in nutrient value was noted between the two plots
[3]. Grazing resulted in a significant increase in net aboveground
primary production of Puccinellia phryganodes compared to ungrazed areas
[2].
FIRE EFFECTS AND USE
WILDLIFE SPECIES: Anser caerulescens
DIRECT FIRE EFFECTS ON ANIMALS:
No imformation was available on this topic.
HABITAT RELATED FIRE EFFECTS:
Snow geese are attracted to freshly burned ground, most likely because
once the aboveground vegetation is removed, tubers and roots are easy
foraging [18]. More than 20,000 geese fed for several days on a burned
area (19,760 ac [8,000 ha]) in Louisiana [15]. Geese will flock to
areas in Louisiana that are prescribed burned for cattle forage
enhancement to feed on the new vegetation [17]. Geese can destroy a
marsh following burning if they feed on the remaining rootstock and none
is left to reproduce [11]. For more complete information about fire's
effects on specific marsh plants refer to this database under Scirpus,
Phragmites, Typha, Distichlis, Carex, and Eleocharis.
FIRE USE:
Fire can be used to reduce aboveground vegetation to allow easier access
to tubers and roots and also allow geese to spot predators [15].
Burning in marshy wildlife refuges in the southeastern states is common
practice for promoting growth of food and cover plants. Here, because
of the long, wet growing season, rank vegetation can build up quickly,
reducing food quality [9]. Louisiana marshes are typically burned every
2 years to promote the growth of three-square bulrush, millet, and giant
foxtail. Burning can be used in combination with disking or deep
flooding [9]. Late winter burns can create green vegetation in early
spring when geese need to build up energy stores for their migration
north. In Louisiana marshes where cordgrass is dominant and
three-square bulrush is desired for food, burning during the dry season
(August to October) every year for 3 to 4 years is necessary for
three-square to take over [18]. To maintain a constant growth of this
desirable species, burning any time between mid-October and the first of
January with a 0 to 2-inch (5 cm) water level is recommended [18].
FIRE REGIMES:
Find fire regime information for the plant communities in which this
species may occur by entering the species name in the FEIS home page under
"Find Fire Regimes".
REFERENCES
WILDLIFE SPECIES: Anser caerulescens
REFERENCES:
1. Alisauskas, Ray T.; Ankney, C. Divison; Klaas, Erwin E. 1988. Winter
diets and nutrition of midcontinental lesser snow geese. Journal of
Wildlife Management. 52: 403-414. [19979]
2. Bazely, D. R.; Jefferies, R. L. 1989. Leaf and shoot demography of an
arctic stoloniferous grass, Puccinellia phryganodes, in response to
grazing. Journal of Ecology. 77: 811-822. [19980]
3. Belanger, L.; Giroux, J.; Bedard, J. 1990. Effects of goose grazing on
the quality of Scirpus americanus rhizomes. Canadian Journal of Zoology.
68: 1012-1014. [19981]
4. Bernard, Stephen R.; Brown, Kenneth F. 1977. Distribution of mammals,
reptiles, and amphibians by BLM physiographic regions and A.W. Kuchler's
associations for the eleven western states. Tech. Note 301. Denver, CO:
U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management. 169 p.
[434]
5. Eyre, F. H., ed. 1980. Forest cover types of the United States and
Canada. Washington, DC: Society of American Foresters. 148 p. [905]
6. Garrison, George A.; Bjugstad, Ardell J.; Duncan, Don A.; [and others].
1977. Vegetation and environmental features of forest and range
ecosystems. Agric. Handb. 475. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Forest Service. 68 p. [998]
7. Gauthier, Gilles; Tardif, Josee. 1991. Female feeding and male vigilance
during nesting in greater snow geese. Condor. 93: 701-711. [19982]
8. Gauthier, Gilles; Bedard, Yves; Bedard, Jean. 1988. Habitat use and
activity budgets of greater snow geese in spring. Journal of Wildlife
Management. 52: 191-201. [19983]
9. Givens, Lawrence S. 1962. Use of fire on southeastern wildlife refuges.
In: Proceedings, 1st annual Tall Timbers fire ecology conference; 1962
March 1-2; Tallahassee, FL. Tallahassee, FL: Tall Timbers Research
Station: 121-126. [19344]
10. Hik, D. S.; Jefferies, R. L.; Sinclair, A. R. E. 1992. Foraging by
geese, isostatic uplift and asymmetry in the development of salt-marsh
plant communities. Journal of Ecology. 80: 395-406. [19314]
11. Hoffpauir, Clark M. 1961. Methods of measuring and determining the
effects of marsh fires. Proceedings, Annual Conference of Southeastern
Association of Game and Fish Commissioners. [Volume unknown]: 142-161.
[19416]
12. Jackson, Sandra L.; Hik, David S.; Rockwell, R. F. 1988. The influence
of nesting habitat on reproductive success of the lesser snow goose.
Canadian Journal of Zoology. 66: 1699-1703. [19984]
13. Johnsgard, Paul A. 1975. Waterfowl of North America. Bloomington, IN:
Indiana University Press. 575 p. [19985]
14. Kuchler, A. W. 1964. United States [Potential natural vegetation of the
conterminous United States]. Special Publication No. 36. New York:
American Geographical Society. 1:3,168,000; colored. [3455]
15. Leslie, John C.; Zwank, Phillip J. 1985. Habitat suitability index
models: lesser snow goose (wintering). Biol. Rep. 82 (10.97).
Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife
Service. 16 p. [19986]
16. Madge, Steve; Burn, Hilary. 1988. Waterfowl: An identification guide to
the ducks, geese and swans of the world. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin
Company. 298 p. [20029]
17. McAtee, W. L. 1910. Notes on Chen caerulescens, Chen rossi, and other
waterfowl in Louisiana. Auk. 27: 337-339. [19987]
18. Perkins, Carroll J. 1968. Controlled burning in the management of
muskrats and waterfowl in Louisiana coastal marshes. In: Proceedings,
annual Tall Timbers fire ecology conference; 1968 March 14-15;
Tallahassee, FL. No. 8. Tallahassee, FL: Tall Timbers Research Station:
269-280. [16941]
19. American Ornithologists' Union. 1957. Checklist of North American birds.
5th ed. Baltimore, MD: The Lord Baltimore Press, Inc. 691 p. [21235]
20. American Ornithologists' Union. 2004. The A.O.U. check-list
of North American birds, 7th edition, [Online]. American Ornithologists'
Union (Producer). Available: http://www.aou.org/checklist/index.php3
[2005, January 10]. [50863]
21. American Ornithologists' Union. 2018. The A.O.U. check-list of North
American birds, 7th ed., [Online]. American Ornithologists' Union
(Producer). Available: http://checklist.aou.org/. [50863]
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