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Small white goose
Small white goose
The bird can be of two types: white and blue.
Type: Chordates
Class: Birds
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Duck
Genus: Geese
Species: White goose
General Settings
  • Breeds in North-East Canada and Alaska. The only colony in the Eastern Hemisphere is located on Wrangel Island.
  • Length - 50-60 cm.
  • Weight - up to 2.7 kg.
  • The diet includes leaves, seeds, fruits, berries.
  • Life expectancy is up to 20 years.

The nesting pair fiercely defends the nest from the attack of Arctic foxes. Colonial nesting reduces predator losses.


Social behavior


Married couples are formed for life, but at the same time they nest in numerous colonies. They rarely show aggression towards each other and during flights their number can reach 1000 individuals.


Reproduction


The female lays 4 to 6 eggs. Incubation lasts about 20 days. The male does not take part in incubation, but does not move far from the female.


Species and people


Currently, the population of small white geese is not threatened. However, in the middle of the 20th century, the number of these wild migratory birds was rapidly decreasing due to excessive hunting.


Interesting Facts


Even in the same family there can be white and blue birds, and there is no intermediate type of color.

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