Snow Goose vs Blue-billed Teal
Anser caerulescens compared with Spatula hottentota
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Snow Goose | Blue-billed Teal |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anser caerulescens | Spatula hottentota |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 82.4 cm (32.4 in) | 29.4 cm (11.6 in) |
| Weight | 2561.0 g (90.34 oz) | 269.2 g (9.50 oz) |
| Diet | Grazes submerged aquatic vegetation and eelgrass in estuaries; also takes grasses and sedges on coastal … | Feeds on seeds, aquatic plants, and invertebrates; filter-feeds in shallow water; broadly omnivorous and seasonally … |
| Clutch Size | 2-6 | 5-12 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Snow Goose
Breeds on coastal and inland Arctic tundra in Canada, Alaska, and Greenland. Winters on agricultural fields, marshes, and coastal wetlands across the United States and northern Mexico. Forms enormous flocks.
Blue-billed Teal
Freshwater lakes, marshes, pans, and flooded grasslands across sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal and Sudan south to the Cape. Nomadic; follows seasonal rains. Common but easily overlooked among reed beds.
Song & Call Comparison
Snow Goose
A loud, nasal barking 'luk-luk' or 'kow-kow'. Large flocks create enormous noise during Arctic nesting and winter staging. Considered a noisy, conspicuous goose.
Blue-billed Teal
Male utters a soft, teal-like peep; female gives a muted quack. Pairs call quietly in dense papyrus; soft contact calls help birds maintain proximity in thick African marsh vegetation.
Geographic Range & Migration
Snow Goose
Breeds in eastern North America's boreal forest; winters on the Atlantic coast from New England to South Carolina.
Blue-billed Teal
Breeds in Arctic and subarctic Eurasia; winters at sea in the North Atlantic and from western Europe to eastern Africa.
Conservation Status
Snow Goose
Blue-billed Teal
How to Tell Them Apart
Snow Goose
White morph: pure white plumage with black primaries and pink bill and legs. Blue morph: dark blue-gray body with white head. Both morphs interbreed freely. 'Grinning patch' on bill. Sexes …
Blue-billed Teal
Small; males have pale blue-gray bill contrasting with brown-gray body. Head finely spotted; underparts barred brown and white. Males show powder-blue forewing in flight. Females browner. African marsh species.
About These Birds
Snow Goose
A distinctive goose with two morphs—white with black wingtips, or 'blue morph' with dark body and white head. Large flocks create spectacular migration events. Breeds in the Arctic; winters in the United States and Mexico. Population growth has caused severe overgrazing of Arctic salt marshes.
Blue-billed Teal
A small dark teal with blue-grey bill and legs, brown-streaked plumage, and fine pale spotting on the flanks. The most widespread teal in sub-Saharan Africa. Found on freshwater lakes and marshes. Highly nomadic; follows seasonal rainfall. Swims low in the water like a pochard.