Texas Snow Goose Hunting & Snow Goose Species Information

Lesser snow geese breed along Queen Maud Gulf, Baffin Island, Banks Island and Victoria Island; in the Northwest Territories and on Hudson Bay. They nest on low, grassy tundra plains and broad, shallow rivers near the coast, and on islands within shallow inland lakes. Lesser snow geese nest in colonies and lay an average of 4-5 eggs.

Latin: Anser caerulescens caerulescens

Average length: M 29″, F 28″

Average weight: M 6.1 lbs., F 5.5 lbs.

Lesser Snow Goose Duck Description

Lesser snow geese have two color phases: a dark (blue) plumage and a white (snow) plumage. The two color phases are variations within the same race and do not indicate separate races. The sexes are similar in appearance in both phases, but the female is often smaller. Lesser snow geese can hybridize with Ross’ geese, which are similar in appearance. They have pinkish bills with black grinning patches, and the feet and legs are reddish-pink. In the dark phase they have white heads and upper necks, with bluish-gray bodies. In the white phase they are completely white except for black wing tips. The head can be stained rusty brown from minerals in the soil where they feed. They are very vocal and can often be heard from more than a mile away.

Snow Goose Distribution

Lesser snow goose distribution is much more diverse than that of the greater snow goose. The lesser snow geese breeding range stretches from the Arctic to high Arctic Islands. While there are pockets of wintering habitats on the mid-Atlantic Coast and the Pacific Coast, the densest wintering locations are in the southern Mississippi Flyway, northwestern Gulf Coast and northcentral Mexico.

Snow Goose Migrating and Wintering Patterns

Lesser snow geese historically migrate from their northern breeding grounds down the Pacific and Mississippi Flyways, to winter in the Central Valley of California and the Gulf Coast of Texas, Louisiana, and Mexico. There, the abundant emergent vegetation of the brackish and salt marshes provide both food and cover. Recently, they have expanded their winter range to interior agricultural lands in states such as Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas, where corn, rice and pasture grasses provide abundant food supplies.

Information on Snow Goose species provided by Ducks Unlimited.