Species: Chen rossii
Ross's Goose
Species
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Encyclopedia of Puget Sound
Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Craniata
Class
Aves
Order
Anseriformes
Family
Anatidae
Genus
Chen
NatureServe
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
58
Weight
1588
Conservation Status
NatureServe Global Status Rank
G4
Global Status Last Reviewed
1996-11-20
Global Status Last Changed
1996-11-20
Other Status
LC - Least concern
Distribution
Conservation Status Map
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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).