Blue Snow Geese

Blue Snow Geese

Mar. 14, 2010

At one time, blue snow geese (Chen caerulescens) were classified as an individual species. However, blue snow geese are now considered to be a dark color morph of snow geese - or a dark phase. (If we were discussing dogs or cats, I'd say that a blue snow goose was a different breed from a snow goose, but ornithologists don't go in for such niceties.)

Whatever one calls them, a blue snow goose is immediately distinctive.

There's no mistaking the white head and blue suit.

Snow geese themselves don't seem to differentiate between an "ordinary" snow goose and a blue snow goose. Here's a pair flying side by side.

Snow goose and blue snow g00se flying side by side

On the whole, blue snow geese mix with the white ones (perhaps there's one blue snow goose per a hundred or so snow geese); but note the flock of blues flying together.

As there are fewer blue snow geese, it is somewhat more difficult to take a good photo, but I'm particularly pleased with this fellow swimming.

Photo note: I used a Pentax K200D, with the SMC 1000mm reflex lens, on 7 March 2010, at Middle Creek, Pennsylvania, for the first two and last two photos; the middle photo was taken in Feb. 2009 with the Pentax *1st D, with the SMC-A* 300mm lens.