Identification - There are two color-phases of this goose. The dark phase or "Blue Goose" has a blue-gray body and wings, black primaries or flight feathers with a white head and upper neck. The light phase, or "Snow Goose" is pure white with black wing tips. Both color phases have pink bills with a black "grin patch." The white head is often rusty-stained. Sexes are similar.
Morsels - This goose was originally thought to be two species, the Snow Goose and the Blue Goose. When a white phase and a blue phase bird mate, the offspring tend to be mainly blue phase birds. Certain populations are now becoming dominated by blue phase birds as they tend to have higher breeding success than the white phase birds. Perhaps that is due to better camouflage on the breeding grounds, the result of warming trends in our climate. Also, white phase birds in those populations have a smaller chance to pair with white phase mates, which would continue the favoring of blue phase young.
