Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge closed out 2025 by welcoming some visitors from way, way up north.
They were four Snow Geese and one Ross’s Geese. How they ended up together along Black Point Wildlife Drive is anyone’s guess. How far did they come to get to Florida?
“Some Snow Geese that winter in western North America breed in Siberia, and some that winter along the Atlantic coast breed in Greenland,” AllAboutBirds.org notes.
“Ross’s Geese breed entirely in Canada and migrate to the U.S. and northern Mexico for winter,” the website also says.
Yes, they do migrate south for the winter, but Florida isn’t typically a spot where you would find them.
As 2026 started, it appears the geese realized they were in the wrong place and have apparently left MIWR.
