Goose
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 A group of Canada Geese
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Goose (plural geese) is the common name for members of a variety of species of wild or domesticated large waterbirds in the family Anatidae, and especially those in the genera Anser ("grey geese"), Branta (black geese), or Chen (white geese, sometimes place within Anser). This family also includes swans, most of which are larger and have a longer neck than geese, and ducks, which are smaller and with a more pointed bill. The term goose also refers only to the adult female, while gander is the name for the male, and a young male or female goose before fledging is called a gosling.
This article mainly will discuss the "true geese" in the family Anatidae, subfamily Anserinae, tribe Anserini (that is, the three genera mentioned above). A number of other waterbirds, mainly related to the shelducks (family Anatidae, but subfamily Tadorninae), have "goose" as part of their name, as well as some birds that are not even members of Anatidae, such as the Magpie-goose in the family Anseranatidae.
Geese pair for life.
True geese
The following are the living genera of true geese:
- Anser - Grey Geese, including the domesticated goose and the Swan Goose
- Chen - White Geese (often included in Anser), including the snow goose
- Branta - Black Geese, including the Canada goose
The following two genera are only tentatively placed in the Anserinae; they may belong to the shelducks or form a subfamily on their own:
- Cereopsis - Cape Barren Goose
- Cnemiornis - New Zealand Geese (prehistoric)
In addition, there are some goose-like birds known from subfossil remains found on the Hawaiian Islands.
Description
True geese (tribe Anserini) are medium to large birds, always (with the exception of the Nēnē (Branta sandvicensis, "Hawaiian goose") associated to a greater or lesser extent with water. The Anerinae (geese and swans) are mostly limited in their distribution to temperate and Subarctic regions (Grzimek et al. 2004). Some can be found at high elevations, such as the bar-headed goose (Anser indicus) that breeds on the highland plateaus of central Asia, between 4,000 and 5,000 meters in elevation (13,100 to 16,400 feet) (Grzimek et al. 2004).
Like other Anatidae, true geese have a somewhat flattended bill with horny lamellae (miniature ridges, like the "teeth of a comb"), and a hard process (the "nail") at the tip of the bill, as well as a broad body, partially webbed feet, and a large preen gland crowned by a tuft of feathers (Grzimek et al. 2004). Anatidae are excellent at shedding water due to special oils.
True geese (tribe Anserini) are characterized by a strong bill, a wide nail, and stout and flat lamella (Grzimek et al. 2004). Their flight feathers are molted only once a year, as in all ducks, an are lost simultaneously so that flying is not possible for that short period of time (Gzimek et al. 2004). Only the magpie goose, in the family Anseranatidae, sheds its primaries sequentially and does not lose its abilty to fly (Grzimek et al. 2004).
Males of all Anatidae, including the geese, have a copulatory organ that is evaginated from the cloaca for copulation (Grzimek et al. 2004). Anatidae are remarkable for being one of the few families of birds that possess a penis. However, the sperm do not flow through a central canal, as in mammals, but rather along grooves on the outside (Gzimek et al. 2004).
True geese are mostly hervivorous and feed by grazing. They also take invertebrates if the opportunity presents itself; domestic geese will try out most novel food items for edibility. All geese eat a largely vegetarian diet, and can become pests when flocks feed on arable crops or inhabit ponds or grassy areas in urban environments. Although geese largely require wetlands or water-bodies for survival, they feed mostly on land (Grzimet et al. 2004).
Most species of geese in Europe, Asia, and North America are strongly migratory as wild birds, breeding in the far north and wintering much further south. The characteristic V formation of migrating geese is a conspicuous sight and the reasons for this formation remain debated (Andersson and Wallander 2004). The main two hypothesis are for saving energy and for communication and orientation of the flock (Andersson and Wallander 2004).
However, escapes and introductions have led to resident feral populations of several species.
Geese have been domesticated for centuries. In the West, farmyard geese are descended from the Greylag, but in Asia the Swan Goose has been farmed for at least as long.
Geese usually mate for life, and stay paired for several seasons, though a small number will "divorce" and remate. They tend to lay a smaller number of eggs than ducks (which mostly are seasonally monogramous); however, both parents protect the nest and young, which usually results in a higher survival rate for the young geese.
Geese and humans
Geese provide several values for humans. For one, many geese serve as food items, being considered a delicacy in a number of cultures.
Foie gras (French for "fat liver") is "the liver of a goose (or duck) that has been specially fattened. Foie gras is one of the most popular delicacies in French cuisine and its flavour is described as rich, buttery, and delicate, unlike that of a regular goose liver. The technique of gavage dates as far back as 2500 B.C.E., when the ancient Egyptians began keeping birds for food and deliberately fattened the birds through force-feeding. Today, France is by far the largest producer and consumer of foie gras, though it is produced and consumed worldwide, particularly in other European nations and the United States.
Confit d'oie (goose) involves goose being macerated in herbs and salt, cooked in savory broth or fat, and then preserved in rendered fat. Such confits are a specialty of the southwest of France (Toulouse, Dordogne etc.) and are used in refined versions of dishes such as cassoulet. Although confit of goose or duck are now considered somewhat luxurious products, these dishes were used by peasants as a means to store meats for periods of time without refrigeration.
Hunting of geese has been popular historically and currently, and is a lucrative business.
Goose feathers, because they are soft, are used in pillows, blankets, and mattresses, and because of their insulation quality are used as filling for winter clothing, such as quilted coats and sleeping bags. Goose down especially has great loft, the ability to expand from a compressed, stored state to trap large amounts of compartmentalized, insulating air.
Other species called "geese"
There are a number of mainly southern hemisphere birds called "geese", most of which belong to the shelduck subfamily Tadorninae. These are:
- Blue-winged Goose, Cyanochen cyanopterus
- Orinoco Goose, Neochen jubata
- Egyptian Goose, Alopochen aegyptiacus
- The South American sheldgeese, genus Chloephaga
- The prehistoric Madagascar Sheldgoose, Centrornis majori
A genus of prehistorically extinct seaducks, Chendytes, is sometimes called "diving-geese" due to their large size.
The Spur-winged Goose, Plectropterus gambensis, is most closely related to the shelducks, but distinct enough to warrant its own subfamily, the Plectropterinae.
The three perching ducks in the genus Nettapus are named "pygmy geese", such as the Cotton Pygmy Goose, Nettapus javanica.
The unusual Magpie-goose is in a family of its own, the Anseranatidae.
Etymology
Goose in its origins is one of the oldest words of the Indo-European languages (Crystal 1998), the modern names deriving from the proto-Indo-European root, ghans, hence Sanskrit hamsa (feminine hamsii), Latin anser, Greek khén etc.
In the Germanic languages, the root word led to Old English gos with the plural gés, German Gans and Old Norse gas. Other modern derivatives are Russian gus and Old Irish géiss; the family name of the cleric Jan Hus is derived from the Czech derivative husa.
A group of geese on the ground is called a gaggle; when flying in formation, it is called a wedge or a skein.
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
- Andersson, M., and J. Wallander. 2004. Kin selection and reciprocity in flight formation? Behavioral Ecology 15(1): 158-162.
- Bagemihl, B. 1999. Biological Exuberance: Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversity: 479-481. St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0-312-19239-8
- Carboneras, C. 1992. Family Anatidae (Ducks, Geese and Swans). In: del Hoyo, Josep; Elliott, Andrew & Sargatal, Jordi (editors): Handbook of Birds of the World, Volume 1: Ostrich to Ducks: 536-629. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. ISBN 84-87334-10-5
- Crystal, D. 1998. The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language (Paperback) ISBN 0-521-55967-7
- Grzimek, Bernhard, Dennis A. Thoney, Neil Schlager, Joseph E. Trumpey, and Michael Hutchins. 2004. Grzimek's animal life encyclopedia. Detroit: Thomson-Gale. ISBN 0787657778.
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