Ross’s Goose (Anser rossii)

Size

• Body length ranges from 54 to 66 centimetres (inches).
• Wingspan can range from 118 to 135 centimetres (inches).

Appearance

• General characteristics for both males and females include:
  • White plumage
  • Dark pink bill with small warts on the base
  • Dark pink feet
  • Black wing tips
• Immature geese have grey plumage, and dark bills and feet.

Voice/Call

• Call is a high pitched and squeaky luk-luk.

• Wintering range for this species is in California.
• Breeding range covers a restricted area of the Arctic coast from Perry River to Banks Island.
• Ross’s geese do not nest in Alberta; they migrate through the province in the spring and autumn.

Habitat

• Can be found in shallow wetlands, lakes and fields.

Food

• Ross's geese, like other species, feed on young grass shoots, and waste grain when migrating.

Breeding Behaviour

• Ross's geese build nests of mosses and reeds lined with down, on the ground on the tundra.
• They lay three to six creamy-white eggs.

Status

Ross's geese are classified as Secure in the current General Status of Alberta Wild Species report. See:

• General Status of Alberta Wild Species

Current management

Hunting

Hunting season information for this species is provided in the current Alberta Guide to Hunting Regulations. To view the guide online or to order a printed copy, visit the My Wild Alberta website at:

• Hunting: Regulations

• Snow Goose
  Ross’s geese are indistinguishable from snow geese except for size (Ross’s geese are smaller), voice and the lack of a grinning patch on the bill.