Greater Snow Geese on St. Lawrence River in Ontario

Several hundred thousand Greater Snow Geese were on the St Lawrence River on 28 - 29 March 2011. These were seen from the Second Line Road east of Lancaster on 29 March 2011. They stretched for several kilometres each side of here. Most Greater Snow Geese are white morph birds. In 1900 the population of Greater Snow Geese was only 2 - 3000 birds. In 1965 the Canadian Wildlife Service estimated the spring population staging in Quebec at 25,400 birds. The highest count was 1,428,000 in 2009. Last spring's count was 824,000. As spring advances the geese will move farther along the St. Lawrence into Quebec. They will depart for their high arctic breeding grounds in about one and half months. 

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The sights and sounds were amazing. I have never seen a concentration of birds as large as this in Ontario.

Greater Snow Geese

Every once in a while they spooked into the air with a thunderous roar.

Greater Snow Geese: first year (left), adult (right) and adult blue morph. The blue morph is rare in the Greater Snow Goose subspecies and common in the Lesser Snow Goose subspecies

White morph Greater Snow Goose and intermediate blue morph

Greater Snow Goose and Ross's Goose.

Greater Snow Goose with probable hybrid Snow x Ross's on right.

A small number of birds had yellow neck collars.

For information on subspecies and morphs of the Snow Goose see here.