Ross's Goose
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Other uses: Goose (disambiguation)
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 Ross's Geese at Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge
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| Chen rossii (Cassin, 1861) |
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Anser rossii |
The Ross's Goose (Chen rossii or Anser rossii) is a North American species of goose.
The American Ornithologists' Union places this species and the other two "white" geese in the genus Chen rather than the more traditional "grey" goose genus Anser.
This goose breeds in northern Canada and winters much further south in the continent in the southern USA and occasionally northern Mexico.
The plumage of this species is white except for black wing tips. It is similar in appearance to a white-phase Snow Goose but approximately 40% smaller. Other differences from the Snow Goose are that Ross's bill is smaller in proportion to its body and lacks "black lips". The dark phase is extremely rare.
The Ross's Goose is a rare vagrant to Western Europe, but it is commonly kept in wildfowl collections and so the true frequency of wild birds is hard to assertain.
[edit] References
- BirdLife International (2004). Chen rossii. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
- Sibley, David (2000). The Sibley Guide to Birds. Knopf. ISBN 0-679-45122-6.
 Sleeping Ross's Geese (left), Snow Geese (right), and Sandhill Cranes (above) |
[edit] External Links
- Ross's Goose Chen rossii - USGS Patuxent Bird Identification Infocenter
- Ross's Goose - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Ross's Goose Information and Photos - South Dakota Birds
