Ross's Goose
Encyclopedia
The Ross's Goose is a North America
n 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
, mainly in the Queen Maud Gulf Migratory Bird Sanctuary, and winters much further south in the continent in the southern United States 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 the 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 ascertain. Escaped or feral
specimens are encountered frequently, usually in the company of other feral geese such as Canada Goose
, Greylag Goose
and Barnacle Goose
. However, individuals or small groups that seemed to be of natural origin have turned up in Holland and Britain
.
This species is named in honor of Bernard R. Ross, a Hudson's Bay Company
factor at Fort Resolution
in Canada's Northwest Territories.
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of goose
Goose
The word goose is the English name for a group of waterfowl, belonging to the family Anatidae. This family also includes swans, most of which are larger than true geese, and ducks, which are smaller....
.
The American Ornithologists' Union
American Ornithologists' Union
The American Ornithologists' Union is an ornithological organization in the USA. Unlike the National Audubon Society, its members are primarily professional ornithologists rather than amateur birders...
places this species and the other two "white" geese in the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Chen rather than the more traditional "grey" goose genus Anser
Anser (genus)
The waterfowl genus Anser includes all grey geese and sometimes the white geese. It belongs to the true geese and swan subfamily . The genus has a Holarctic distribution, with at least one species breeding in any open, wet habitats in the subarctic and cool temperate regions of the Northern...
.
This goose breeds in northern Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, mainly in the Queen Maud Gulf Migratory Bird Sanctuary, and winters much further south in the continent in the southern United States and occasionally northern Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
The plumage of this species is white except for black wing tips. It is similar in appearance to a white-phase
Polymorphism (biology)
Polymorphism in biology occurs when two or more clearly different phenotypes exist in the same population of a species — in other words, the occurrence of more than one form or morph...
Snow Goose
Snow Goose
The Snow Goose , also known as the Blue Goose, is a North American species of goose. Its name derives from the typically white plumage. The genus of this bird is disputed...
but approximately 40% smaller. Other differences from the Snow Goose are that the 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
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, but it is commonly kept in wildfowl collections and so the true frequency of wild birds is hard to ascertain. Escaped or feral
Feral
A feral organism is one that has changed from being domesticated to being wild or untamed. In the case of plants it is a movement from cultivated to uncultivated or controlled to volunteer. The introduction of feral animals or plants to their non-native regions, like any introduced species, may...
specimens are encountered frequently, usually in the company of other feral geese such as Canada Goose
Canada Goose
The Canada Goose is a wild goose belonging to the genus Branta, which is native to arctic and temperate regions of North America, having a black head and neck, white patches on the face, and a brownish-gray body....
, Greylag Goose
Greylag Goose
The Greylag Goose , Anser anser, is a bird with a wide range in the Old World. It is the type species of the genus Anser....
and Barnacle Goose
Barnacle Goose
The Barnacle Goose belongs to the genus Branta of black geese, which contains species with largely black plumage, distinguishing them from the grey Anser species...
. However, individuals or small groups that seemed to be of natural origin have turned up in Holland and Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
This species is named in honor of Bernard R. Ross, a Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
factor at Fort Resolution
Fort Resolution, Northwest Territories
Fort Resolution is a "settlement corporation" in the South Slave Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada...
in Canada's Northwest Territories.
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