How to identify it
21-25 in; small white goose, smaller than a Snow Goose. [1]
Short bill lacking the Snow Goose's black 'grinning patch', often with a bumpy blue-gray base. [1]
Rounder head with the eye more centered, giving a gentle expression. [1]
Young are much whiter than young Snow Geese; a rare blue morph exists. [1]
Compared with the snow goose: Snow goose is larger with a longer bill showing a black 'grinning patch'; Ross's has a rounder head with a more centered eye. [1]
Species it is confused with
Check these before deciding what you are looking at. If you are not certain what it is, do not shoot.
- Snow goose · Anser caerulescens
Field notes
- Identification Do not identify Ross's goose from colour alone. Compare structure, size, range and the listed similar species before making a field decision.[1]
Where it lives
Summer on flat Arctic tundra mixing grass and low dwarf birch or willow. [1]
Migration and winter on shallow lakes, freshwater marshes and flooded stubble and other farm fields. [1]
How it behaves
Migrates and winters in flocks, often mixed with Snow Geese; hybrids occur. [1]
Where it is listed for legal take
These authorities list this species for legal take in their own regulations.
Where legal take is listed
- Alberta — migratory bird hunting · 2026 Alberta Guide to Hunting Regulations
- British Columbia — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2028 Hunting and Trapping Regulations Synopsis
- Canada (federal migratory birds) — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Birds Regulations, 2022 (SOR/2022-105), Schedule Parts 7-13 (MB, SK, AB, BC, NT, YT, NU)
- Ontario — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Birds Regulations, 2022, Schedule 3, Part 6 (Ontario) (current to 2026-09-21)
- Québec — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Birds Regulations, 2022, Schedule 3, Part 5 (Quebec) (current to 2026-09-21)
- Saskatchewan — migratory bird hunting · Saskatchewan Hunters Guide 2026-27
- Alabama — migratory bird hunting · Waterfowl Seasons 2026-2027 (ADCNR)
- Alaska — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2027 Alaska Migratory Game Bird Hunting Regulations
- California — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2027 California Waterfowl, Upland Game, and Public Use of Department Lands Regulations
- Colorado — migratory bird hunting · 2 CCR 406-5 Chapter W-5 Migratory Birds (03/04/2026; eff. 2026-05-01)
- Delaware — migratory bird hunting · 2026-27 Delaware Hunting & Trapping Guide: Migratory Bird Seasons & Bag Limits
- Idaho — migratory bird hunting · Idaho Migratory Game Bird 2026-2027 Seasons & Rules
- Illinois — migratory bird hunting · Illinois Digest of Hunting and Trapping Regulations 2026-2027 (PDF read from cached copy of the digest linked on this page)
- Iowa — migratory bird hunting · 2026-27 Iowa Hunting, Trapping & Migratory Game Bird Regulations (DNR PDF; page numbers cited)
- Kentucky — migratory bird hunting · Kentucky Hunting & Trapping Guide, August 2026-March 2027
- Maryland — migratory bird hunting · 2026-27 Maryland Guide to Hunting & Trapping (official guide, linked from dnr.maryland.gov/huntersguide)
- Missouri — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Bird and Waterfowl Hunting Digest 2026-2027 (cached PDF from MDC regulations page)
- Nebraska — migratory bird hunting, other regulated take · Small Game & Waterfowl Guide 2025-2026
- Nevada — migratory bird hunting · Nevada 2026-2027 Small Game Hunting Regulations & Seasons (NDOW official guide, eRegulations-hosted)
- North Carolina — migratory bird hunting · Proclamation: 2026-2027 Migratory Game Bird Hunting Seasons (NCWRC)
- North Dakota — migratory bird hunting, other regulated take · North Dakota Hunting Seasons (season dates table) · 2026-2027 Small Game, Waterfowl and Furbearer Proclamation
- Oklahoma — migratory bird hunting · September Teal, Geese & Sandhill Cranes
- Oregon — migratory bird hunting · 2026-27 Oregon Game Bird Hunting Regulations (official ODFW booklet)
- Pennsylvania — migratory bird hunting · 2026-27 Seasons and Bag Limits
- Texas — migratory bird hunting · Outdoor Annual: Definitions: Migratory Game Bird
- Utah — migratory bird hunting · 2026-27 Waterfowl, Upland Game and Turkey Guidebook
- Washington — migratory bird hunting · 2026 Washington Game Bird and Small Game Hunting Regulations (Jul 1 2026 - Jun 30 2027)
- Wyoming — migratory bird hunting, other regulated take · WGFC Ch. 14 Migratory Game Bird Hunting Seasons and Light Goose Conservation Order (dated Apr 22 2026)
Being listed is not an open season. Seasons, zones, licences, methods and limits decide whether this animal may be taken on a given day and place — check Hunt or the authority before you go. Listings read 2026-09-30.
Where it is found
Main population breeds in the central Canadian Arctic (Northwest Territories/Nunavut region) and migrates through Alberta and Montana to winter in central California; wintering numbers in New Mexico and east of the Rockies have increased markedly.
Sources
Every claim above is attributed to one of these published sources.
- BIOLOGICALRoss's Goose | Audubon Field Guide
National Audubon Society · reviewed 2026-09-30
National Audubon Society