Species: Chen rossii

Ross's Goose

Species

Birds

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Salish Sea-reliant birds

Encyclopedia of Puget Sound

Classification

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Craniata

Class

Aves

Order

Anseriformes

Family

Anatidae

Genus

Chen

NatureServe

Source:
ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.104055

Classification

Other Global Common Names

Ganso de Ross - oie de Ross

Informal Taxonomy

Animals, Vertebrates - Birds - Waterfowl

Formal Taxonomy

Animalia - Craniata - Aves - Anseriformes - Anatidae - Chen - Infrequently hybridizes with C. CAERULESCENS. Many waterfowl authorities advocate merging the genus CHEN into the genus ANSER (Livezey 1986).

Ecology and Life History

Migration

false - false - true - Begins migrating northward in early March, usually arrives at Perry River nesting area (NWT) in late May. Migrates southward in September; generally follows spring routes, stops in Peace-Athabasca delta and in prairie regions of northern and central Alberta and western Saskatchewan, where may remain until early November in mild fall (Johnson and Herter 1989).

Non-migrant

false

Locally Migrant

false

Food Comments

Grazes on new green growth in grasslands; feeds on grain in fields. During initial part of breeding period uses nutritional reserves accumulated in winter and in staging areas. Young and molting adults feed on insects and grass/sedge shoots while moving from interior lakes to more coastal areas (Johnson and Herter 1989).

Reproduction Comments

Eggs are laid in late May-June (mainly first 3 weeks of June; varies with weather and snow conditions). Single-brood per year. Female incubates usually 3-5, sometimes 2-6, eggs for about 21-22 days. Hatching occurs usually in early July in Beaufort Sea region. Nestlings are precocial and downy, remain with adults until following spring. Nests in loose colonies.

Ecology Comments

See McLandress (1983) for information on dynamics of breeding populations. May benefit by nesting near snow goose (McLandress 1983).

Length

Weight

1588

Conservation Status

NatureServe Global Status Rank

Global Status Last Reviewed

1996-11-20

Global Status Last Changed

1996-11-20

Other Status

LC - Least concern

Distribution

Conservation Status Map

Global Range

BREEDS: mainly Queen Maud Gulf area (northern Mackenzie, northwestern Keewatin) also southern Southhampton Island, western coast of Hudson Bay, and Sagavanirktok River delta, Alaska (Johnson and Troy 1987). WINTERS: mainly in the Sacramento, San Joaquin, and Imperial valleys in California; also southern Texas, New Mexico, and southern Arizona. In recent years, has been wintering in growing numbers in the middle Rio Grande valley of New Mexico and in lakes of northern Chihuahua (Johnson and Herter 1989).

ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.104055