Ross's goose (Chen rossii or Anser rossii) at Martin Mere, Rufford, Burscough, Southport, Lancashire, UK 29th April, 2015. Avian spring at the Martin Mere Nature Reserve Wetland Centre. Ducks & Drakes in breeding plumage giving territorial displays along the boundaries of their territory, expressing chasing behaviour, precopulatory and complex courtship displays, many of which incorporate movements that emphasize the drake's ornamental plumage.
The Ross’s Goose is the smallest variety of the white geese that breed in North America. They look like a small Snow Goose but they have a shorter neck and a rounder head. At the base and sides of its smaller beak, the Ross’s Goose has species-specific vascular wartlike protuberances or caruncles which become more prevalent with age. Currently, about 95 percent of all Ross’s Geese nest in the Queen Maud Gulf Migratory Bird Sanctuary in the central Canadian Arctic. The main wintering area for Ross’s Goose (Chen rossii) is presently in the Central Valley of California, though increasing numbers winter in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Texas, and the north-central highlands of Mexico. The Ross's goose is a rare vagrant to Western Europe, but it is commonly kept in wildfowl collections and so the true frequency of wild birds is hard to ascertain. Escaped or feral specimens are encountered frequently, usually in the company of other feral geese such as Canada goose, greylag goose and barnacle goose. However, individuals or small groups that seemed to be of natural origin have turned up in the Netherlands and Britain.
Size: 3600px × 2400px
Location: Martin Mere, Rufford, Burscough, Southport, Lancashire, UK
Photo credit: © MediaWorldImages / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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