This small white goose with black primaries shares the same color pattern as Snow Goose, but is smaller overall with a short neck and short stubby bill. The base of the bill is covered with bluish warty growths, and the bill lacks the “grinning patch” found on Snow Geese. Where the white feathering meets the base of the bill forms an almost perfectly vertical straight line and the overall bill shape suggests a right triangle, with the length being very similar to the height. The forehead rises steeply from the base of the bill, giving the head a round shape. Immatures: Like adult, but with limited dusky markings on the head and neck; much whiter overall than young Snow Geese. Blue morph: A dark morph rarely occurs in Ross’s Goose. Body is dark brown except for belly and undertail coverts. Wing coverts have a bluish cast. Dark brown extends up entire neck and crown, leaving only the face white.

Length: 53 (cm) Wingspan: 119 (cm)

Voice:

The call is a strident Kuk or Ku-luk.

Habitat:

Nests on tundra, winters in agricultural fields and shallow marshes.

Behavior:

Agile fliers, Ross’s Geese have faster wingbeats than Snow Geese. Where their wintering ranges overlap, often found in mixed flocks with Snow Geese.

Feeding:

Diet consists of plant matter, including grasses, sedges, and grains.