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Whole flock of Snow Geese landing in the Skagit Valley
Photo by Doug Parrott |
By Christine Southwick
Snow Geese are now arriving in their winter grounds in the Skagit Valley, mostly near Stanwood and Fir Island, flying approximately 3,000 miles from their summer breeding on the Russian island of Wrangel. They will stay here until about March.
The Skagit Valley is a major wintering site for Snow Geese, Trumpeter Swans, and Tundra Swans. These birds prefer flat to rolling coastal areas with grasses, sedges, and shallow lakes or streams.
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Underneath black wing tips clearly visible while landing P
hoto by Elaine Chuang |
Worldwide, snow geese were reduced to only a few thousand around 1900. But they’ve made a remarkable comeback and now are one of the most abundant waterfowl in the world. It is common to have up to 50,000 wintering here.
They’ve been so successful, in fact, that in some areas they are starting to destroy this fertile habitat as they tear vegetation out of the ground to eat.
Snow Geese, being herbivores, forage by using their sharp beaks to pick up seeds and rip vegetation from the ground. They are very vocal and can be heard more than a mile away from where they are foraging.
Snow Geese usually form a lifelong pair bond in their second year and start raising their annual three to five goslings in the third year. The females return to their hatching grounds on Wrangel Island to breed their young (this return is called philopatric).
The babies leave the nest and start feeding themselves within hours of hatching but stay under their parents’ protection for the next two to three years.
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Blue Goose, an alternate plumage of Snow Goose
Photo by Doug Parrott |
Occasionally you will see what is called a Blue Goose, which is the dark morph of the Snow Goose (both names come from their plumage).
Both phases of Snow Geese have a black edge along their bills - it almost looks like someone ran a black crayon between the upper and lower bills. Their legs and feet are rose-colored, but their legs and heads are often stained a rusty-brown from the minerals in the soil. Juveniles have duller legs and bill.
Snow Geese often feed with other species of wintering geese, like the Greater White-fronted Goose, and you may see Tundra Swans in adjacent fields.
Port Susan Snow Goose & Birding Festival is in February. The website has lots of information about snow geese, the festival, special events, and exploring the area.
It is well worth the trip to go see and hear the flocks. Just remember to pull off these much-used rural roads, stay in/near your car, and don’t wander onto private fields
Most Snow Geese start returning to Wrangel Island near the end of March.
You can also
learn more about Snow Geese here
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