Is there really a greater snow goose species or are they called greater because they use a different flyway then the lesser? I have yet to find any reference in books to a greater snow goose yet I hear the argument all the time that someone got a greater.
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Yes! The Greater Snow Goose is native to the Atlantic Flyway. The are just slightly larger(weigh more) than the Lesser Snow Goose that is found in the Central and Pacific Flyway. They occasionally are found in the Central Flyway(have seen them at Bosque del Apache NWR.
They are different species. The lessor comes in two color phases, white and blue, otherwise refered to as the Blue Goose. The Greater is a different species with only one color phase and does not fly down as far south as the lessor. You should be able to fine this in any good bird book.
Not to step on any toes, but Birdman's info is a little incorrect in that he stated that a Greater snow only has one color phase. Greater snows do come in the blue phase just like Lesser Snows and, to a rarer degree, Ross'geese.
in my hands about three weeks ago. It came in with a bunch of Lesser Snows and Blues. You could tell it was bigger than the other birds right away, wing span,head and beak. Rare bird for this part of the country {Eastern Nebraska} Did i get to take it home? Nope, dropped the ball on it and it ended up getting breasted out by someone who didn't know any better.