Snow goose
Amazing fact
Snow goose chicks can walk and feed themselves soon after hatching.
Smithsonian National Zoo
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An illustration based on the real animal.
A little discovery to share.
Snow goose chicks can walk and feed themselves soon after hatching.
THE REAL WORLD
The real Snow goose
- Scientific name
- Anser caerulescens
- Japanese name
- ハクガン
- Group
- Birds
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Anseriformes
- Family
- Anatidae
- Genus
- Anser
It comes in a white form, which is white all over, and a blue form, which has a dark body and a white head.
It raises its young on the tundra of northern North America and eastern Russia, and in winter it also flies to places such as Japan.
It is said that when it nests near a snowy owl's nest, it is less likely to be attacked by other animals.
How the Snow goose lives
It is mostly active by day, but migrating flocks fly both at night and during the day. It walks in shallow water or on land, digging up plant roots with its bill to eat. It lives in flocks throughout the year. It makes a nest on the ground using moss and feathers.
Smithsonian National Zoo多摩動物公園Basic data
- Size
- Total length: 66–84 cmWingspan: 132–165 cm
- Weight
- 2.5–3.3 kg
- Diet
- Grass leaves, stems, roots, seeds, aquatic plants, and grains
- Range
- Northern Canada, Alaska, eastern Russia, and elsewhere
- Conservation status in Japan
- Vulnerable (VU)Assessed as Anser caerulescens caerulescensMinistry of the Environment of Japan, 5th Red List (2026)
Where the Snow goose has been recorded
Records: GBIF.org (CC0 and CC BY 4.0 records, retrieved 2026-11-07). Map: Natural EarthSee the records on GBIF
Watch wild animals from a distance. Do not touch or feed them, and take care of the places where they live.
Names around the world
- 日本語
- ハクガン
- 简体中文
- 雪雁
- 繁體中文
- 雪雁
- 한국어
- 흰기러기
- Español
- Ánsar nival
- Français
- Oie des neiges
- Deutsch
- Schneegans
- Português (Brasil)
- Ganso-das-neves
- Italiano
- Oca delle nevi
- العربية
- إوز الثلج
- Tiếng Việt
- Ngỗng tuyết
- Русский
- Белый гусь
- Türkçe
- Kar kazı
Names come from Wikidata and iNaturalist records. Where a language has no recorded name, we use the scientific name.
Sources and how we check
- 多摩動物公園 — ハクガンChecked: 2026-11-03
- University of Michigan Animal Diversity Web — Anser caerulescensChecked: 2026-11-03
- Smithsonian National Zoo — Snow gooseChecked: 2026-11-06
- Ministry of the Environment of Japan, 5th Red List (2026)Checked: 2026-11-07
We check each fact against its source. The illustrations simplify how the real animal looks.
The classification (class, order, family, genus) follows Wikidata records, checked against GBIF. Classifications can change as research goes on.
The basic data are the values given in each source. They vary with how the animal is measured, whether it is male or female, and whether it lives in the wild or in captivity.
The conservation status in Japan is the category in the Red Lists of the Ministry of the Environment of Japan, which assess the risk of extinction for wild animals in Japan.
This page was translated from the original Japanese with the help of AI.
Report a mistakeWhen you meet the Snow goose, look for this
- Look at its pink bill and red legs and feet.
- Look for the black patch at the base of its bill that resembles a grin.
Animals do different things from day to day, so you may not always see this.
Smithsonian National ZooUniversity of Michigan Animal Diversity WebEXHIBIT INFORMATION
Places that keep or show the Snow goose
Zoos, aquariums and other places whose official websites say they keep or show this animal.
Kanto
Displays can change with the animals’ health and the seasons. Check each facility’s official website before you go.
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