Chen rossii

Tundra of Arctic Canada; winters to s US.

North America

Gulf of Maine, Gulf of Mexico, North West Atlantic

occurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations, but breeds in a single nation

Canada

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Breeding

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Non-breeding

Global Range: BREEDS: mainly Queen Maud Gulf area (northern Mackenzie, northwestern Keewatin) also southern Southhampton Island, western coast of Hudson Bay, and Sagavanirktok River delta, Alaska (Johnson and Troy 1987). WINTERS: mainly in the Sacramento, San Joaquin, and Imperial valleys in California; also southern Texas, New Mexico, and southern Arizona. In recent years, has been wintering in growing numbers in the middle Rio Grande valley of New Mexico and in lakes of northern Chihuahua (Johnson and Herter 1989).

Length: 58 cm

Weight: 1588 grams

Systems

• Terrestrial
• Freshwater

Comments: In migration and winter mainly in marshy lakes, wet prairies, foraging in grassy areas, pastures and cultivated fields. Sometimes in coastal lakes, bays and river mouths (Cogswell 1977). Nests in arctic tundra, usually on remote lake islands and deltas. High nest density recorded in heath patches on islands (McLandress 1983). Female constructs nest in a scrape, building a mound of twigs, grasses, mosses, and lichens.

Non-Migrant: No. All populations of this species make significant seasonal migrations.

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).

Locally Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.

Begins migrating northward in early March, usually arrives at Perry River nesting area (NWT) in late May. Migrates southward in September; generally follows spring routes, stops in Peace-Athabasca delta and in prairie regions of northern and central Alberta and western Saskatchewan, where may remain until early November in mild fall (Johnson and Herter 1989).

Comments: Grazes on new green growth in grasslands; feeds on grain in fields. During initial part of breeding period uses nutritional reserves accumulated in winter and in staging areas. Young and molting adults feed on insects and grass/sedge shoots while moving from interior lakes to more coastal areas (Johnson and Herter 1989).

See McLandress (1983) for information on dynamics of breeding populations. May benefit by nesting near snow goose (McLandress 1983).

Maximum longevity: 22.5 years (wild) Observations: Maximum longevity from banding studies is 22.5 years (Blumstein and Moller 2008).

Eggs are laid in late May-June (mainly first 3 weeks of June; varies with weather and snow conditions). Single-brood per year. Female incubates usually 3-5, sometimes 2-6, eggs for about 21-22 days. Hatching occurs usually in early July in Beaufort Sea region. Nestlings are precocial and downy, remain with adults until following spring. Nests in loose colonies.

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.

There are 2 barcode sequences available from BOLD and GenBank.  Below is a sequence of the barcode region Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI or COX1) from a member of the species.  See the BOLD taxonomy browser for more complete information about this specimen and other sequences.

Download FASTA File

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 2
Specimens with Barcodes: 2
Species With Barcodes: 1

Year Assessed

Assessor/s

Reviewer/s

Contributor/s

Justification

History

• 2008
  Least Concern
• 2004
  Least Concern

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: N4B - Apparently Secure

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N4N - Apparently Secure

Rounded Global Status Rank: G4 - Apparently Secure