Snow Geese- Two Sides of a Success Story
Waterfowl migrations have always been a fascination and a reason for excitement as winter approaches, and the arrival of snow geese is no exception. Unlike some migratory species, snow geese don’t slowly trickle into our region of Washington in the fall. They arrive en masse- either here in large numbers, or absent altogether. If you have not experienced the raucous sounds of a field of snow geese taking flight, you’re missing out on one of nature’s great symphonies.
A bald eagle triggered this explosion of snows to take flight in the Skagit Valley.
Snow geese migrations can be followed throughout the mid-Columbia basin of Washington, and in the western Skagit River Delta region they gather in spectacular numbers. Most of these birds were born over 3000 miles away on Russia’s arctic Wrangel Island, alongside some of the world’s largest populations of Pacific Walruses and polar bears. The Skagit Valley has historically been a temporary stopover in route to wintering grounds in California’s Central Valley. Over time however, a larger fraction of birds are staying in Washington throughout the winter. The reasons for this shift are not entirely clear, but most scientists believe increasing food sources with changing agricultural practices, coupled with the shortened migration distance, have contributed to the increasing population of birds that winter in Washington.
In the early 1900s snow geese populations were estimated to be only a few thousand. With changing agricultural practices and increased wetland conservation efforts, the population of breeding snow geese has rebounded to large numbers- now in the tens of millions. For those of us that enjoy photographing them in the fields and wetlands of Washington, this seems like good news. For sure, nothing beats the excitement of watching a hungry bald eagle trigger the flight of hundreds of geese at once.
However, there are two sides to this conservation story, since the increasing growth of snow geese populations pose potentially serious consequences to the arctic tundra regions. Their grubbing style of feeding involves digging plants up by the roots rather than clipping the stems above ground (like other geese do). This behavior along with the large flocks that simultaneously descend on a field can seriously damage crops. This can cause economic loss, but of course crops can be replanted. In the tundra however, slow growing plants take years to recover from this damage, if they recover at all. Damage to tundra ecosystems further impacts the reproductive success of other species, such as shorebirds that use the same depleted summer nesting grounds. The challenge in managing snow goose populations has led to liberal hunting seasons and regulations, but the impact of these sportsman management efforts may take years to understand.
For now, the story of the snow goose is another important example of how globally intertwined nature is. How we choose to manage environments in one part of the world impacts the environment thousands of miles away, whether we are there to witness it or not.
Above: Snow goose “grubbing”. These birds are voracious eaters. Over time the constant rooting of plants and exposure to iron in the soil taints their faces a characteristic rust color.
Above: Snow Goose landing in Skagit Valley field in Washington State. Below: Snow geese may be the noisiest of all waterfowl. Their main call is a nasal “honk”- used by both sexes. While feeding they use a low guttural sound to communicate with family members.
Snow geese prefer to spend the night on the safety of open water, where they sleep while floating. In the morning, as if on cue, they move to fields to feed in sort of a chaotic symphony. They mate for life and return to the same breeding areas that they were born at.
One of these birds is in focus…I think.