goose
Sign in to savethumb|upright=1.35|A greylag goose (Anser anser) A goose (: geese) is a bird of any of several waterfowl species in the family Anatidae. This group comprises the genera Anser (grey geese and white geese) and Branta (black geese). Some members of the Tadorninae subfamily (e.g., Egyptian goose, Orinoco goose) are commonly called geese, but are not considered "true geese" taxonomically. More distantly related members of the family Anatidae are swans, most of which are larger than true geese, and ducks, which are smaller.
AI overview
A goose is a type of waterfowl bird belonging to the family Anatidae, which includes species in the genera Anser (grey and white geese) and Branta (black geese). Geese matter because they are common waterfowl found in various ecosystems and have been important to humans historically for food, eggs, and down feathers.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Article
16 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- True geese and their relatives
- Fossil record
- Migratory patterns
- Navigation
- Formation
- Other birds called "geese"
- In popular culture
- Sayings and phrases that reference geese
- Geese as characters in cultural works
- "Gray Goose Laws" in Iceland
- Gallery
- See also
- References
- Further reading
- External links
thumb|upright=1.35|A greylag goose (Anser anser) A goose (: geese) is a bird of any of several waterfowl species in the family Anatidae. This group comprises the genera Anser (grey geese and white geese) and Branta (black geese). Some members of the Tadorninae subfamily (e.g., Egyptian goose, Orinoco goose) are commonly called geese, but are not considered "true geese" taxonomically. More distantly related members of the family Anatidae are swans, most of which are larger than true geese, and ducks, which are smaller.
The term "goose" may refer to such bird of either sex, but when paired with "gander", "goose" refers specifically to a female one ("gander" referring to a male). Young birds before fledging are called goslings. The collective noun for a group of geese on the ground is a gaggle; when in flight, they are called a skein, a team, or a wedge; when flying close together, they are called a plump.