Snow geese began using the Dead Creek refuge as recently as 1981, and their numbers have increased annually, with peak populations in mid-October exceeding 20,000 birds. They do not breed there but use the refuge for resting and feeding in spring and fall as they pass twice each year through the Lake Champlain migrational corridor between wintering grounds in the mid-Atlantic states and breeding areas in the Arctic reaches of eastern Canada. The birds arrive at Dead Creek in mid- to late March and leave in early April, then return in early October as large flocks descend on agricultural fields to rest and feed through November before continuing south. Most of the snow geese there are greater snows, though a few lesser snow geese, including dark-colored individuals called Blue Geese, may also be seen. Young snow geese are dusky colored, unlike the snow-white plumage of adults. The refuge's corn, buckwheat, and green forage crops help replenish energy reserves needed for migration, and the birds' strong social nature keeps them in large concentrations of their own species, aiding survival and creating opportunities for viewing and photography.
