Snow Goose (LBRC)

Vagrant. North America. Frequent escapes from wildfowl collections probably cloud the true status.

 

 

       Snow Goose, left at Sutton Bridge on 30th October 2006 (Paul Sullivan); right, Short Ferry November 14th 2009, of unknown origin (Russell Hayes).

 

There are two subspecies, both of which have occurred in Europe. The nominate race, caerulescens, known as 'Lesser Snow Goose', breeds in NE Siberia, N Alaska and NW Canada and winters in S USA, N Mexico and Japan. It is smaller and slimmer than the heavier-billed 'Greater Snow Goose' atlanticus, which breeds from NW Greenland and NE Canada; this subspecies winters mainly along the Atlantic coast of NE USA between Maryland and N Carolina. Blue-phase birds occur commonly in nominate birds but very rarely in atlanticus. Blue-phase birds occur commonly in caerulescens but only very rarely in atlanticus.

In Britain there is a feral breeding population of perhaps up to 100 pairs, with a feral flock on the Inner Hebrides and other smaller feral flocks in Norfolk and Hampshire. In 2011 it was estimated that there were about 180 birds (combined numbers of wild, naturalised and other birds) at large in Britain from WeBS and county bird reports). Wild Snow Geese are most likely to occur at the traditional staging or wintering areas of Pink-footed Geese, Greenland White-fronted Geese or Whooper Swans. Birds considered to be genuine migrants are usually considered to be those occurring with carrier flocks of these species. Sifting out the likely vagrants from feral birds though is a perennial problem and it was dropped from the BBRC list in 1963!

The first record of a Snow Goose that may have been of wild origin was of one near Boston in 1942. Occurrences since have been almost annual from 1978 onwards. Most have involved birds at inland locations, either alone or with feral Greylag or Canada Geese when it is assumed that these birds are non-wild (right-hand photograph, above). Coastal records are less common, although interestingly most records from all areas have either been during the winter months or during April and May.

The one accepted modern record was of a bird seen in 2006/7 with Pink-footed Geese, A. brachyrhynchus. It was seen at Saltfleetby-Theddlethorpe on October 13th 2006 and what was presumed to be the same bird was later found at Sutton Bridge/ Nene Mouth October 26th-31st feeding with Pink-footed Geese. In 2007 one was seen near Frampton Marsh on January 6th and January 14th, 2007 flying with a Pink-footed Goose flock, presumed to be the same individual.

Site	First date	Last date	Count	Notes
Boston area	31/01/1942		1
Saltfleetby-Theddlethorpe NNR	13/10/2006		1	Moved south with a Pink-footed Goose flock
Nene mouth, Sutton Bridge	26/10/2006	31/10/2006	1	Presumed same as that of October 13th 2006; feeding with Pink-footed Geese
Frampton Marsh	06/01/2007	14/01/2007	1	Presumed same as that of October 13th and 26th/27th 2006; with pink-footed Geese

 

(Account as per new Birds of Lincolnshire (2021), included September 2022)