A white goose, or snow goose, is spotted in Longyouhu, a wetland area in Xiaonanhai town, Longyou county, Quzhou. [Photo/qz123.com]

A white goose was recently spotted by bird protection staff in Longyouhu, a wetland area in Xiaonanhai town, Longyou county, Quzhou, local media reported on Nov 13.

The goose was identified as a snow goose, the first time such a bird has been spotted in Zhejiang province.

Snow geese are not common in China, as they mainly breed in the tundra zone and winter in marshes, sandbars, wet meadows, coastal farmland and rice stubble fields.

They are occasionally seen in Japan and eastern China, including Hebei and the Yangtze River mouth, but rarely in Zhejiang province.

They are also known as white geese, because they are white all over, except for some rust-colored stains on their head and neck.

Longyouhu is a bird watching destination in Zhejiang province with a good water environment and abundant food resources. It is a paradise for birds, and more than 130 species of wild birds, including eight national first-class protected birds such as the Chinese merganser, and more than 20 national second-class protected birds such as the swan goose and the osprey, have been observed there.

The appearance of the snow goose further indicates the excellence of the natural environment in Longyouhu.