A white Ross's goose with black wingtips standing on grass. — Photo: Andrew C, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Ross's Goose

Anser rossii

North America's smallest white goose, a 'pint-sized' snow goose that nests in huge Arctic colonies.

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About the Ross's Goose

Ross's geese are 22 to 25 inches long with a 44- to 45-inch wingspan, the smallest of North America's three white geese. They are all white with black wingtips and short pink or gray bills. They breed in the far north and spend winter mostly in the Midwestern United States, in lakes, grasslands, farms and wetlands. They eat grass, moss, roots, seeds and grain.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Anser rossii^[1]
Size: 22 to 25 inches long; 44- to 45-inch wingspan.^[1]
Lifespan: Up to 20 years.^[1]
Diet: Herbivore. Grass, moss, roots, seeds and grain; sometimes insects.^[1]
Habitat: Lakes, ponds, grasslands, farms and wetlands.^[1]
Where it lives: Breeds in the Canadian Arctic; winters mainly in the Midwestern United States.^[1]
Group life: Flocks of hundreds or thousands.^[1]
Babies: About 4 eggs, incubated for 21 to 23 days.^[1]
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2020).^[2]

Fun facts

About 1 in 10,000 Ross's geese is a dark 'blue morph.'^[1]
Goslings can swim the day after they hatch.^[1]
Its Arctic nesting grounds weren't discovered until 1938.^[1]

Vocabulary

gosling: A baby goose.
colony: A large group of animals of one kind that live or nest together.
migrate: To travel from one region to another with the seasons.
flock: A group of birds that travel or feed together.
least concern: A conservation label meaning a species is widespread and not at risk of dying out soon.

See it in person

Smithsonian's National ZooWashington, D.C. · Bird HouseSee this animal on the zoo's website ↗

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

[1] Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute. “Ross's goose.” https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/rosss-goose (accessed 2026-10-08)
[2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Anser rossii (Ross's Goose).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22679909/136898830 (accessed 2026-10-08)

Facts last checked 2026-10-08.

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