A white snow goose with black wingtips standing on grass. — Photo: Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Snow Goose

Anser caerulescens

A noisy Arctic-nesting goose that migrates in flocks of hundreds of thousands and comes in white and 'blue' forms.

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About the Snow Goose

Snow geese weigh 3.5 to 7.3 pounds and are 25 to 31 inches long. They come in a white 'snow' form and a darker 'blue' form. They nest on flat Arctic tundra in Canada, Alaska, Russia and Greenland. In winter they often gather in farm fields to eat leftover grain. They dig up plant roots with their bills.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Anser caerulescens^[1]
Size: 25 to 31 inches long.^[1]
Weight: 3.5 to 7.3 pounds.^[1]
Lifespan: Can live more than 25 years in the wild; some over 30.^[1]
Diet: Herbivore. Plant roots, grasses and other plants, plus grain in winter.^[1]
Habitat: Arctic tundra in summer; wetlands and farm fields in winter.^[1]
Where it lives: Breeds in Arctic Canada, Alaska, Russia and Greenland.^[1]
Group life: Lives in flocks all year.^[1]
Babies: 2 to 6 eggs.^[1]
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2020).^[2]

Fun facts

Some snow goose flocks have hundreds of thousands of birds.^[1]
Migrating snow geese fly both day and night.^[1]
Snow geese come in white and 'blue' color forms.^[1]

Vocabulary

tundra: A cold, treeless plain in the far north.
morph: One of the color forms found in a single species.
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. “Snow goose.” https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/snow-goose (accessed 2026-10-08)
[2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Anser caerulescens (Snow Goose).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22679896/157448765 (accessed 2026-10-08)

Facts last checked 2026-10-08.

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