Lesser Snow Goose
Snow Geese can be seen in large numbers in west Delta between October and April. They can have a magical appearance when flying in a wavy formation, resembling a string of glittering pearls, or landing as a flock, when they look like snow gently falling to the ground.
Snow Geese have white bodies and black wing-tips. Juveniles are grey, and very rarely there is a dark adult which has a black body and a white head.
The Wrangel Island Snow Goose population is the last to breed in northern Russia. This unique population overwinters on the Fraser River delta and the Skagit River delta in Washington, and some fly farther south to central California.
When on Wrangel Island they nest close to each other, with as many as eight nesting pairs per acre. The parents mate for life, and often stay together with their young for the migration and until the next year when their young start their own families.
While here on the Fraser River delta, they feed on marsh plants, un-harvested root crops, and grasses including Winter Cover Crops. Their bills have a strongly serrated edge, as do their tongues, so they are able to feed on tough tubers.
How Can You Help?
Your donation will work towards conserving important farmland and wildlife resources contained in the Fraser River delta.