Snow Goose
Chen caerulescens

f6.7 @ 1/2500s, ISO:800, Nikon D3S w 500mm and 1.7X tele-extender

\"Snow Goose,\" Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The snow goose has two color plumage morphs, white (snow) or gray/blue (blue), thus the common description as \"snows\" and \"blues.\" White-morph birds are white except for black wing tips, but blue-morph geese have bluish-grey plumage replacing the white except on the head, neck and tail tip. The immature blue phase is drab or slate-gray with little to no white on the head, neck, or belly. Both snow and blue phases have rose-red feet and legs, and pink bills with black tomia (\"cutting edges\"), giving them a black \"grin patch.\" The colors are not as bright on the feet, legs, and bill of immature birds. The head can be stained rusty-brown from minerals in the soil where they feed. They are very vocal and can often be heard from more than a mile away.

Bosque del Apache NWR, New Mexico

01/17/2013