6 ILLINOIS AUDUBON BULLE 
A Siberian-Born Snow Goose in Southern Illinois 
by DEBORAH ANN FREY 
On the afternoon of 12 October 1974, four of us were watching the 
arrival of geese at Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge in Williamson 
County. While photographing a mixed flock of Canada Geese (Branta 
canadensis) and Snow Geese (Chen caerulescens), feeding in a field of 
winter wheat, we noted that one of the Snow Geese at the edge of the flock 
nearest us, less than one hundred yards away, was decidedly pink. We ob- 
served this unusual goose, using 7x35mm binoculars, for nearly thirty min- 
utes. Attempts to obtain photographs resulted in poor prints due to over- 
cast and drizzling conditions. 
Snow Geese are common fall migrants in southern Illinois, so their 
presence on the refuge was expected. The pink goose, however, warranted 
further investigation. 
A series of correspondences ultimately led to Dr. William J. L. Sladen 
of John Hopkins University. Dr. Sladen reported that “our” pink goose had 
been tagged under the auspices of the U.S./U.S.S.R. ENVIRONMENTAL 
AGREEMENT, SECTION V, PROJECT V-8. COLLABORATIVE WORK ON 
NORTHERN SWANS AND OTHER NORTHERN WATERFOWL (Dr. A. A. 
Kistchinski, U.S.S.R., and Dr. Sladen, U.S.A., Coordinators). The agreement 
included a study of Lesser Snow Geese (C. c. caerulescens) which breed on 
Wrangel Island, northeastern Siberia. The Goose observed at Crab Orchard 
Refuge was one of 250 birds dyed on Wrangel Island in August, 1974. 
It has been thought that these geese migrate from Wrangel Island via 
the Bering Straits to winter in California. Mrs. Judith Johnson, assistant to 
Dr. Sladen, wrote, ‘‘It was mighty strange for it (our goose) to be flying to 
California via southern Illinois . . . You made a real first—the first time 
Soviet Snow Geese have been known to be in Illinois and known to winter 
in southeastern United States.’ 
In addition to the Snow Goose described above, Soviet, Canadian and 
American researchers have neck-banded or color coded many other birds. 
If such birds are observed, contact Dr. Sladen or Mr. R. B. Baroni of the 
Canadian Wildlife Service, Ottawa, Ontario. They will put you in touch with © 
the team or organization responsible for marking the birds. The observer 
of such birds should take careful notes concerning the type and color of 
marking, location, habitat, behavior of birds, and other pertinent information. 
—Dept. of Botany 
Southern Illinois University 
Carbondale, Illinois 62901 
