Snow Geese in Flight

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Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge near Socorro, New Mexico is located at 5000 feet on
the western arm of the Central Flyway, the migration route on the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains.

Bosque del Apache is a wintering site for over 12,000 Sandhill Cranes and over 30,000 Snow Geese,
plus Eagles, Hawks, Falcons, Egrets, Herons, waterfowl, shorebirds, deer, coyotes, and other wildlife.
Bosque del Apache in the winter is one of the most fascinating wildlife locations in the United States.

Snow Geese Dawn Flyout 1692

Snow Geese Sunrise Flyout 2774

Snow Geese in a flyout frenzy just before and just after sunrise at Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge.

Each year, while waiting for the weather to warm up enough to allow them to make the migration to their
Arctic breeding grounds, 30,000 or more Snow Geese winter at Bosque del Apache. Their blast-offs at
dawn are quite dramatic and are a major attraction to folks visiting the refuge, despite the extreme cold.

Visit the Morning Flyout and Evening Fly-in page for images of thousands of Snow Geese filling the sky.

Snow Geese White and Blue Morphs X0867 M

The two color phases of the Snow Goose are shown in this flight portrait taken in the early morning.
White morph geese fly to the right of and above a blue morph goose, defocused in the background.

White morph snow geese are far more numerous than the dark phase (blue morph) geese. The two color
phases were once thought to be different species, but as they interbreed and are found together throughout
their ranges, they are now considered to be two color phases of the same species. The offspring of interbred
light and dark phase birds can be of either morph (the dark phase is the result of a single dominant gene).

All of the landscape (horizontal) large version images linked from the thumbnails are 1500 pixels wide.
Portrait (vertical) images are 1200 pixels tall (1290 pixels with title bar). Images designated with an “M”
in the shot number are 5:4 aspect ratio, 1500 x 1290 with a title bar, or 1500 x 1200 without a title bar.

Snow Geese Blue Morph Sunset Flight 6073 M

Adult and juvenile blue morph snow geese fly in the darkening skies of Bosque del Apache after sunset.
The immature blue morph (seen at right) is a drab slate gray with very little white on its head, neck or belly.

Snow Geese Blue Morph Sunset Flight 6075

Adult and juvenile blue morph geese in flight at sunset over Bosque del Apache.

The wing and back plumage of adult and juvenile blue morph snow geese are quite similar,
but the shoulders, chest, belly and underside of the juvenile’s tail are a dirty gray-brown color.

Snow Geese Blue Morph Sunset Flight 6076

Snow Geese Blue Morph Sunset Flight 6077

A juvenile blue morph snow goose leads an adult into the darkening skies after sunset at Bosque del Apache.

Snow Goose Blue Morph Dawn Flight Study XXL

A 1600 x 990 version of the XXL Composite (6000 x 3500) showing three wing positions
of an adult blue morph Snow Goose in flight at dawn over Bosque del Apache, New Mexico.

Snow Geese 9046

Snow Geese 9059

Snow Geese in flight in mid-November at Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary, British Columbia, Canada.

Snow Goose Flurry 9040

Snow Goose Flurry 9044

A blizzard of Snow Geese in a flight flurry over Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary, British Columbia, Canada.

Snow Goose Dawn Fly-by 4345

A slow exposure flight portrait (500mm, 1/125 @ f/4) of a Snow Goose at dawn over Bosque del Apache.

Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Snow Goose Collection where a Gallery can be selected.

There are 5 Galleries in the Photoshelter Snow Goose Collection

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Snow Geese Dawn Fly-by 4452

Snow Geese in flight as the sun begins to rise over Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge.

Snow Geese are among the most populous birds in North America, and gather in huge flocks.
They breed in colonies in the arctic and subarctic tundra of Canada and north Alaska, migrating
distances of more than 3000 miles in the spring and fall. Lesser Snow Geese migrate down the
Pacific and Central Flyways to wintering areas in the Great Plains, Texas, New Mexico, Mexico
and California (Greater Snow Geese winter along the mid-Atlantic coast and the Carolinas).

Snow Geese have been divided into two subspecies based on size and geography, but
size overlap has caused some experts to question the division into Lesser and Greater.

Snow Geese at Sunrise 3651

A Snow Goose and two Ross’s Geese leave one of the Crane Pools at sunrise on a cold winter morning.

Ross’s Geese (front foreground and trailing) are about 40% smaller than Snow Geese, with a bill that is
smaller in proportion to its body size without the black “lips” (grin patch on bill edges), and a shorter neck.
Ross’s Geese have a steeper, higher forehead than Snow Geese, creating a more rounded head shape.

Ross’s Geese flock with Snow Geese and occasionally interbreed with them. These hybrids are fertile,
and have intermediate characteristics (neck and bill lengths with a shallower and lighter grin patch (lips).
The Ross’s Goose also comes in both color morphs (although blue morph Ross’s Geese are quite rare).

Snow Geese at Sunrise 3658

A group of Snow Geese at sunrise, as a dark storm cloud rolls into Bosque del Apache from the northwest.
The dark clouds in the background make achieving an accurate exposure on the white geese quite difficult.

Snow Geese at Sunrise 3659

Snow Geese at Sunrise 3660

Flight portraits of Snow Geese at sunrise on a stormy day over Bosque del Apache.
The light of the rising sun entered through a fortuitous gap above the eastern horizon.

Snow Geese at Sunrise 3665

A group of Snow Geese in flight at sunrise on a stormy day over Bosque del Apache, New Mexico.

Snow Geese at Sunrise 3677

Snow Geese at Sunrise 3678

Head-on and frontal oblique flight shots, facing southwest on the same stormy morning.

Head-on flight shots are even more difficult than other flight shots with Snow Geese.
Cameras use contrast to achieve a focus lock, and the white bodies of the geese do not
offer much contrast. Add rapid motion towards the camera and the shot becomes difficult.

Snow Geese at Sunrise 6340

A profile flight portrait of a group of four Snow Geese reflecting the golden glow of sunrise.

Snow Geese at Sunrise 5583

Three Snow Geese in flight at sunrise, leaving a Crane Pool at Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge.

Snow Goose Flight Study 4675-77-78 SXL

A 1500 x 1092 version of the SXL Composite showing three wing positions of
a Snow Goose in head-on flight at sunrise over Bosque del Apache, New Mexico.

Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Snow Goose Collection where a Gallery can be selected.

There are 5 Galleries in the Photoshelter Snow Goose Collection

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Snow Geese at Sunrise 4510

Snow Geese at Sunrise 4511

Snow Geese in flight over Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge at sunrise.

Snow Geese at Sunrise 4610 16x9

A 500mm flight portrait at sunrise of two Snow Geese and a Ross’s Goose (left)
flying out to the farm fields at Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico.

Snow Geese feed in grain fields during the winter. At Bosque del Apache, farm fields are maintained
near the wetlands that the geese and cranes use for overnight refuge, and each morning thousands of
geese and cranes fly out to the farm fields to feed on grain grown each summer for the wintering birds.

Snow Geese at Sunrise 4004

Snow Geese at Sunrise 4000

Snow Geese in flight at sunrise over Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge.

Snow Goose Flight Study 4007-11 SXL

A 1500 x 1092 version of the SXL Composite (4288 x 2975) showing wing positions of a
Snow Goose in head-on flight, traveling to the farm fields at Bosque del Apache at sunrise.

Snow Geese at Sunrise 4593

Snow Geese at Sunrise 4640

Head-on and oblique flight portraits of Snow Geese in flight to the farm fields at sunrise.

Snow Geese at Sunrise 4097 16x9

500mm oblique telephoto flight portraits of Snow Geese in flight over Bosque del Apache at sunrise.

Snow Geese at Sunrise 4098

Snow Geese at Sunrise 4112

Snow Geese feed on the fallow corn in the farm fields as well as grasses in the marshes.

Snow Geese at Sunrise 4111 16x9

The wing span of the Snow Goose is between 53 and 65 inches (135-165 cm).

Snow Goose Flight Study 4103-05 SXL

A 1500 x 930 version of the SXL Composite (4288 x 2550) showing
wing positions of a Snow Goose in flight out to the farm fields at sunrise.

Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Snow Goose Collection where a Gallery can be selected.

There are 5 Galleries in the Photoshelter Snow Goose Collection

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Snow Geese Morning Flight 3731

A group of Snow Geese in flight early in the morning, with a storm coming in from the northwest.

Snow Geese Morning Flight 4179

Snow Geese Morning Flight 4182

A group of Snow Geese in flight to the farm fields at the same time on the following morning.

Snow Geese Morning Flight 4186 M

These images were all taken during the 15 minutes when the golden glow of sunrise fades away.

Snow Geese Morning Flight X0864

Snow Geese leaving for the farm fields early in the morning, just after the golden glow has faded.

Snow Geese Morning Flight X0872

Snow Geese Morning Flight X0890

Snow Geese in flight to the farm fields in the early morning at Bosque del Apache.

Snow Geese at Sunrise X6323

Snow Geese fly in formation out to the farm fields at sunrise.

Snow Geese at Sunrise X6335 16x9

A group of Snow Geese and Ross’s Geese in formation flight at sunrise. Two Ross’s Geese
lead the pack, with a Snow Goose just behind. Notice the size difference. At the top rear is a
juvenile Snow Goose, with a somewhat smaller adult Ross’s Goose flying ahead and below.

Ross's Geese in Flight X3798

A group of Ross’s Geese in flight at mid-morning. Note the shorter neck and bill and lack of the grin patch.

Snow Geese in Flight 2059

Snow Geese in flight over Bosque del Apache in the mid-afternoon.

Compare the neck, bill and head shape of these geese in the two images above.

Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Snow Goose Collection where a Gallery can be selected.

There are 5 Galleries in the Photoshelter Snow Goose Collection

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Snow Geese in Flight 2141 16x9

A series of images of Snow Geese in flight over the farm fields in the mid-afternoon.

Snow Geese in Flight 2143

Snow Geese in Flight 2144

When migrating, Snow Geese fly at very high altitude, but when moving short distances they stay low.

Snow Geese in Flight 2190

Snow Geese in flight over the farm fields at Bosque del Apache in the early afternoon.

Snow Geese in Flight 2242

Snow Geese in Flight 2244

Snow Geese in flight over the farm fields at Bosque del Apache in mid-afternoon.

Snow Geese in Flight 2245

This series of images was taken from an elevated platform to give the illusion of flying with the geese.

Snow Geese in Flight 2252

Snow Geese in flight over the farm fields at mid-afternoon. The goose in the lower left foreground
has a long bill without grin patch and is likely to be a hybrid of a Snow Goose and a Ross’s Goose.

Snow Geese in Flight X3801

A head-on oblique of Snow Geese in flight over the farm fields of Bosque del Apache in the late morning.

Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Snow Goose Collection where a Gallery can be selected.

There are 5 Galleries in the Photoshelter Snow Goose Collection

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Snow Geese in Flight 2962

Snow Geese in Flight 2963

Snow Geese in Flight 2964

Snow Geese in Flight 2965

A series of images of Snow Geese in flight over the farm fields in the late afternoon.

Snow Geese in Flight 2967

Snow Geese in Flight 2968

Snow Geese in Flight 2980

A 700mm telephoto oblique flight portrait of Snow Geese over the farm fields of Bosque del Apache.

Snow Goose Flight Study 6718-19 16x9 SXL

A 1600 x 990 version of the SXL Composite (4288 x 2550) showing wing positions of
a Snow Goose in flight over the farm fields at Bosque del Apache in the late afternoon.

Snow Goose Flight Study SXXL

A 2000 x 759 version of the SXXL Composite (12000 x 4125) showing wing positions of
a Snow Goose in flight towards the farm fields in the early morning. Individual images are
available (the Snow Goose Morning Flight X08xx series is shown on the Portraits page).

Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Snow Goose Collection where a Gallery can be selected.

There are 5 Galleries in the Photoshelter Snow Goose Collection

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Snow Geese in Flight X9474

Snow Geese and Ross’s Geese in flight in the late afternoon. The Ross’s Geese can be picked
out of the flock by looking for the smaller size, a shorter and stouter neck, and a short stubby bill.

Snow Geese in Flight X9488

Snow Geese in Flight X9489

Rear oblique and rear angle shots of a flock of Snow Geese in flight at Bosque del Apache in the late afternoon.

Snow Geese Formation Flight X9491 16x9

Snow Geese flying in formation over Bosque del Apache in the late afternoon.

Snow Geese in Flight X9494

A group of Snow Geese cross in front of an oncoming group in the late afternoon over Bosque del Apache.

Snow Goose Sunset Fly-in 5906

Snow Geese Sunset Fly-in 5910

Snow Geese flying into the ponds after a long day of foraging in the farm fields at Bosque del Apache.

Snow Geese Sunset Fly-in X9132

Snow Geese reflect the golden rays of the setting sun while flying into the ponds at Bosque del Apache.

Snow Geese Sunset Fly-in X9135 16x9

Snow Geese in formation flight at sunset, flying into the ponds at Bosque del Apache.

Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Snow Goose Collection where a Gallery can be selected.

There are 5 Galleries in the Photoshelter Snow Goose Collection

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