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A photo of a Ross's Goose (Anser rossii)
Ross's Goose

Ross's Goose

Anser rossii

The Ross's goose (Anser rossii) is a white goose with black wingtips and a relatively short neck. It is the smallest of the three "white geese" that breed in North America. It is similar in appearance to a white-phase snow goose, but about 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. Before the early 1900s, this goose was considered a rare species, possibly as a consequence of open hunting, but numbers have increased dramatically as a result of conservation measures. It is now listed as a species of Least Concern by the IUCN, and is protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The Ross's goose is named in honor of Bernard R. Ross, who was associated with the Hudson's Bay Company in Canada's Northwest Territories. Members of the Hudson's Bay Company were the first Europeans to discover the arctic nesting grounds of Ross's geese in 1940. The first recognizable description of Ross's geese, under the name "horned wavey", was given by explorer Samuel Hearne eighty years before John Cassin named it after Ross.
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Ross's Geese on Birda

Photos

Sightings

A map showing the sighting location
Profile picture for S A P
S A P
Wednesday 31 May 2023 - 11:14am
United Kingdom
A map showing the sighting location
🦆
Paul Partington
Saturday 20 May 2023 - 9:48am
United Kingdom
A map showing the sighting location
Profile picture for Ben Hughes
Ben Hughes
Sunday 14 May 2023 - 10:28am
United Kingdom
A map showing the sighting location
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Ally Arendt
Friday 12 May 2023 - 9:50pm
United States
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