Snow or blue

By Aaron Horrell

The snow goose comes in two colors, white and gray. The gray morph is called a blue goose. An adult blue goose usually will have a white head. The blue goose in my photo here is gray all over and is therefore a juvenile.

Snow geese summer and rear their young in the far northern reaches of Canada, Greenland, Alaska and Siberia. During autumn they gather in large flocks and migrate south. Flocks of snow geese numbering in the thousands can be seen along the lower Mississippi River Basin, where they are commonly seen feeding on grain in farm fields. They are often packed so tightly that the fields look like they are covered with snow.

Sometimes, during winter, flocks of snow geese will be seen flying north. People often mistake the northbound flocks for a sign of early spring. The geese, most likely, are simply searching for a new field in which to forage. In Southeast Missouri the snow goose migration northward typically will take place in March and early April. Snow geese are noisy in flight and often fly high and at night, although they may also be seen flying during the day.