A white Canada goose takes flight, with a typical Canada goose behind it.

Snow goose dimensions:
Length: 27.2–32.7 inches
Weight: 56.4–116.4 ounces
Wingspan: 54.3 inches

A snow goose in flight shows its black primary flight feathers.

I spotted a white goose among the Canada geese at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge this past May. The white goose is a snow goose with black wingtips visible in flight. It has pink feet and a pink bill that has a prominent black “grin patch.”

The darker Canada geese are easily distinguished from the almost all white snow geese when they travel together.

Is this white goose a hybrid or something else? It is a leucistic Canada goose. Leucism is a condition where there is partial loss of pigmentation. It leads to white patches, spots, or splotches on the skin, fur, or feathers. It differs from albinism where the lack of melanin is complete, including eye pigments, which results in pink eyes. Leucistic animals retain their normal eye colors.