Snow Goose look-alikes
Anser caerulescens
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Open the appSeveral birds can be mistaken for the Snow Goose. Compare the key differences below to confirm your sighting.
Birds to compare
Ross's Goose
Anser rossii
Key differences
Ross's Goose is significantly smaller than the Snow Goose (length 53-66 cm, wingspan 113-136 cm). It has a shorter, stubbier bill that lacks the prominent 'grinning patch' of the Snow Goose. The bill of a Ross's Goose is often bluish at the base, and it may have warty growths at the base of the bill, especially in older males. Ross's Geese also have a higher-pitched, less resonant call.
Greater White-fronted Goose
Anser albifrons
Key differences
The Greater White-fronted Goose is a gray-brown goose with a distinctive white patch at the base of its pinkish-orange bill and black bars on its belly. It lacks the white plumage of the white morph Snow Goose and the dark body/white head pattern of the blue morph Snow Goose. Its call is a higher-pitched, two or three-note 'wah-wah-wah' rather than the Snow Goose's 'kow-wok'.
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