Data Zone
Taxonomic note
Anser caerulescens (del Hoyo and Collar 2014) was previously placed in the genus Chen.
Taxonomic source(s)
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Non-passerines. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.
| Critically Endangered | Endangered | Vulnerable |
|---|---|---|
| - | - | - |
| Year | Category | Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Least Concern | |
| 2018 | Least Concern | |
| 2016 | Least Concern | |
| 2012 | Least Concern | |
| 2009 | Least Concern | |
| 2008 | Least Concern | |
| 2004 | Least Concern | |
| 2000 | Lower Risk/Least Concern | |
| 1994 | Lower Risk/Least Concern | |
| 1988 | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
| Migratory status | full migrant | Forest dependency | does not normally occur in forest |
| Land-mass type | Average mass | - |
| Estimate | Data quality | |
|---|---|---|
| Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident) | 8,480,000 km2 | medium |
| Extent of Occurrence (non-breeding) | 15,600,000 km2 | medium |
| Severely fragmented? | no | - |
| Estimate | Data quality | Derivation | Year of estimate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population size | 16000000 mature individuals | poor | estimated | 2020 |
| Population trend | increasing | - | inferred | - |
| Generation length | 8.5 years | - | - | - |
Population justification: The global population is estimated to number 15,000,000 mature individuals (Partners in Flight 2020). The European population is estimated at 1,000-2,000 pairs, which equates to 2,000-4,000 mature individuals (BirdLife International 2015).
Trend justification: The overall population trend is increasing (Partners in Flight 2020; Wetlands International 2020). In North America the rate of increase is accelerating in recent years, amounting to 200% over the past three generations (Meehan et al. 2018). The Alaskan populations are estimated to be increasing (Amundson et al. 2019). In Europe the population size is also estimated to be increasing (BirdLife International 2015). Despite being hunted to regulate the population trend, the increase is continuing (Mowbray et al. 2020).
| Country/Territory | Presence | Origin | Resident | Breeding visitor | Non-breeding visitor | Passage migrant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bahamas | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Barbados | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Belgium | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Belize | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Bermuda (to UK) | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Bulgaria | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Canada | extant | native | yes | yes | yes | |
| Cayman Islands (to UK) | extant | vagrant | ||||
| China (mainland) | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Cuba | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Czechia | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Denmark | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Estonia | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Faroe Islands (to Denmark) | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Finland | extant | vagrant | ||||
| France | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Germany | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Greenland (to Denmark) | extant | native | yes | |||
| Honduras | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Iceland | extant | vagrant | ||||
| India | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Ireland | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Italy | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Japan | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Kazakhstan | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Latvia | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Lithuania | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Marshall Islands | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Mexico | extant | native | yes | |||
| Netherlands | extant | vagrant | ||||
| North Korea | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Norway | extant | introduced | yes | |||
| Poland | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Portugal | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Puerto Rico (to USA) | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Romania | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Russia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Russia (Asian) | extant | native | yes | |||
| Russia (Central Asian) | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Russia (European) | extant | vagrant | ||||
| South Korea | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Spain | extant | vagrant | ||||
| St Pierre and Miquelon (to France) | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Trinidad and Tobago | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Turks and Caicos Islands (to UK) | extant | vagrant | ||||
| United Kingdom | extant | introduced | yes | |||
| USA | extant | native | yes | yes | yes | |
| Virgin Islands (to USA) | extant | vagrant |
| Country/Territory | IBA Name |
|---|---|
| Canada | Akimiski Island |
| Canada | Banks Island Migratory Bird Sanctuary |
| Canada | Battures de Beauport and chenal de l'île d'Orléans |
| Canada | Boas River and associated wetlands |
| Canada | Cape Henrietta Maria |
| Canada | Delta Marsh |
| Canada | Ekwan to Lakitusaki Shores |
| Canada | Great Plain of the Koukdjuak |
| Canada | Hannah Bay |
| Canada | Hay and Zama Lakes |
| Canada | Last Mountain Lake National Wildlife Area |
| Canada | Mackenzie River Delta |
| Canada | Marais de la baie de L'Isle-Verte |
| Canada | McConnell River |
| Canada | Moose River Estuary |
| Canada | Nicolet et Baie-du-Fèbvre |
| Canada | North, West, and East Shoal Lakes |
| Canada | Nunaluk Spit to Herschel Island |
| Canada | Oak Hammock Marsh WMA |
| Canada | Queen Maud Gulf |
| Canada | Southwest Bylot |
| Canada | Whitewater Lake |
| Mexico | Complejo de Humedales del Noroeste de Chihuahua |
| Russia (Asian) | Cape Billings |
| Russia (Asian) | Wrangel and Herald Islands |
| USA | Coastal Prairie |
| USA | Delaware Bayshore Region |
| USA | Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area |
| USA | Quivira National Wildlife Refuge |
| Habitat (level 1) | Habitat (level 2) | Importance | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Artificial/Terrestrial | Arable Land | major | non-breeding |
| Grassland | Temperate | suitable | non-breeding |
| Grassland | Tundra | major | breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Salt Marshes (Emergent Grasses) | suitable | non-breeding |
| Rocky areas (eg. inland cliffs, mountain peaks) | suitable | breeding | |
| Wetlands (inland) | Bogs, Marshes, Swamps, Fens, Peatlands | suitable | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha) | suitable | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Inland Deltas | suitable | breeding |
| Altitude | 0 - 2500 m | Occasional altitudinal limits |
| Threat (level 1) | Threat (level 2) | Impact and Stresses | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Climate change & severe weather | Habitat shifting & alteration | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Future | Whole (>90%) | Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
|
|||||||||
| Purpose | Scale |
|---|---|
| Pets/display animals, horticulture | international |
| Sport hunting/specimen collecting | subsistence, national |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Snow Goose Anser caerulescens. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/snow-goose-anser-caerulescens on 22/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 22/12/2024.