Ross’s goose has an herbivorous diet, which consists of roots, leaves, stems, sedges, legumes and domestic grains (2) (4) (5). This species can be seen foraging on the ground individually, or may form larger groups (5).
A migratory species, Ross’s goose leaves its breeding ground in mid-October and arrives in its overwintering range in late October. Flocks begin to return to the breeding grounds in early March. While migrating, this species is highly gregarious and forms large flocks (5).
Between late May and June mated pairs arrive at the breeding grounds and immediately establish a nesting territory. Although Ross’s goose is thought to be monogamous, copulation with other individuals outside of the pair is also known to occur (2). The female builds the nest during and after the territory establishment (5). The nest is a shallow structure, with twigs, grass, moss and lichens in the outer layer and mostly down on the inner layer (2). The female lays an average clutch of between 4 and 5 eggs (2) at the beginning of June (5), which are laid at 36-hour intervals (2). The female incubates the eggs, while being guarded by the male (4), and the eggs hatch between late June and July (5). If the female leaves the nest, it will cover the eggs with a layer of down to keep the eggs warm and hide them from predators (4). The young are able to leave the nest 24 hours after hatching, and can swim and feed themselves (4) (5). For up to a year after birth, the young maintain an association with the adults (5) and may remain with them until the next breeding season
. Ross’s goose reaches sexual maturity after 2 or 3 years, and lives for up to 14 years in the wild (2).