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Goose
A goose (pl.: 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.[1] 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, A greylag goose (Anser anser), with a
but when paired with "gander", refers specifically to a rail in the background.
female one (the latter referring to a male). Young birds
before fledging are called goslings.[2] 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.[3]

Etymology
The word "goose" is a direct descendant of Proto-Indo-European *ǵ ʰh₂éns. In Germanic languages, the
root gave Old English gōs with the plural gēs and gandra (becoming Modern English goose, geese,
gander, respectively), West Frisian goes, gies and guoske, Dutch: gans, New High German Gans, Gänse,
and Ganter, and Old Norse gās and gæslingr, whence English gosling.

This term also gave Lithuanian: žąsìs, Irish: gé (goose, from Old Irish géiss), Hindi: कलहंस, Latin:
anser, Spanish and Portuguese: ganso, Ancient Greek: χήν (khēn), Albanian: gatë (swans), Finnish:
hanhi, Avestan zāō, Polish: gęś, Romanian: gâscă / gânsac, Ukrainian: гуска / гусак (huska / husak),
Russian: гусыня / гусь (gusyna / gus), Czech: husa, and Persian: ‫( غاز‬ghāz).[2][4]

True geese and their relatives

The two living genera of true geese are: Anser, grey geese and white geese, such as the greylag goose and
snow goose, and Branta, black geese, such as the Canada goose.

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Two genera of geese are only tentatively placed in the Anserinae;

they may belong to the shelducks or form a subfamily on their own:
Cereopsis, the Cape Barren goose, and Cnemiornis, the prehistoric
New Zealand goose. Either these or, more probably, the goose-like
coscoroba swan is the closest living relative of the true geese.

Fossils of true geese are hard to assign to genus; all that can be said
is that their fossil record, particularly in North America, is dense
and comprehensively documents many different species of true Snow geese (Anser
geese that have been around since about 10 million years ago in the caerulescens) in Quebec,
Miocene. The aptly named Anser atavus (meaning "progenitor Canada
goose") from some 12 million years ago had even more
plesiomorphies in common with swans. In addition, some goose-
like birds are known from subfossil remains found on the Hawaiian
Islands.

Geese are monogamous, living in permanent pairs throughout the

year; however, unlike most other permanently monogamous
animals, they are territorial only during the short nesting season.
Paired geese are more dominant and feed more, two factors that
result in more young.[5][6]
Chinese geese (Anser
cygnoides domesticus), the
domesticated form of the
Fossil record swan goose (Anser
cygnoides)
Goose fossils have been found ranging from 10 to 12 million years
ago (Middle Miocene). Garganornis ballmanni from Late Miocene
(~ 6-9 Ma) of Gargano region of central Italy, stood one and a half
meters tall and weighed about 22 kilograms. The evidence suggests
the bird was flightless, unlike modern geese.[7]

Migratory patterns
Most goose species are migratory, though populations of Canada Barnacle geese (Branta
geese living near human developments may remain in a locality leucopsis) in Naantali,
year-round.[8] These 'resident' geese, found primarily in the eastern Finland
United States, may migrate only short distances, or not at all, if they
have adequate food supply and access to open water.[8]

Navigation
Migratory geese may use several environmental cues in timing the beginning of their migration, including
temperature, predation threat, and food availability.[9][10] Like all migratory birds, geese exhibit an
ability to navigate using an internal compass, using a combination of innate and learned behaviors. The

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preferred direction of migration is heritable, and birds appear to orient themselves using Earth's magnetic
field.[11] Migrations occur over the course of several weeks, and up to 85% of migration time is spent at
perennial stopover sites, where individuals rest and build up fat stores for further travel.[12]

Formation
Geese, like other birds, fly in a V formation. This formation helps to conserve energy in flight, and aids in
communication and monitoring of flock mates.[13][14] Using great white pelicans as a model species,
researchers showed that flying in a V formation increased the aerodynamics of trailing birds, thus
requiring fewer wing flaps to stay aloft and lowering individuals' heartrates.[15] Leading geese switch
positions on longer flights to allow for multiple individuals to gain benefits from the less energy-intensive
trailing positions; in family groups, parental birds almost always lead.[16][17]

Other birds called "geese"

Some mainly Southern Hemisphere birds are called "geese", most of
which belong to the shelduck subfamily Tadorninae. These are:

The Orinoco goose (Neochen jubata)

The Egyptian goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca)
The South American sheldgeese in the genus Chloephaga
The prehistoric Malagasy sheldgoose (Centrornis majori) Greylag goose at St.
James's Park, London,
Others: England

The spur-winged goose (Plectropterus gambensis) is most

closely related to the shelducks, but distinct enough to
warrant its own subfamily, the Plectropterinae.
The blue-winged goose (Cyanochen cyanopterus) and the
Cape Barren goose (Cereopsis novaehollandiae) have
disputed affinities. They belong to separate ancient
lineages that may ally either to the Tadorninae, the
Anserinae, or closer to the dabbling ducks (Anatinae). Cape Barren goose
The three species of small waterfowl in the genus Nettapus (Cereopsis
named "pygmy geese"; they seem to represent another novaehollandiae) in Maria
ancient lineage, with possible affinities to the Cape Barren Island, Australia
goose or the spur-winged goose.
The maned goose, also known as the maned duck or
Australian wood duck (Chenonetta jubata)
A genus of prehistorically extinct seaducks, Chendytes, is sometimes called the "diving-
geese" due to their large size.[18]

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The magpie goose (Anseranas semipalmata) is the only living species in the family
Anseranatidae.
The northern gannet (Morus bassanus), a seabird, is also known as the "solan goose",
although it is unrelated to the true geese, or any other Anseriformes for that matter.[19][20]

In popular culture

Sayings and phrases that reference geese

To "have a gander" is to look at something.
"What's good sauce for the goose is good sauce for the gander" or "What's good for the
goose is good for the gander" means that what is an appropriate treatment for one person
is equally appropriate for someone else. This statement supporting equality is frequently
used in the context of sex and gender, because a goose is female and a gander is
male.[21]
Saying that someone's "goose is cooked" means that they are about to be punished.[21]
The common phrase "silly goose" is used when referring to someone who is acting
particularly silly.[21]
"Killing the goose that lays the golden eggs", derived from Aesop's Fables, is a saying
referring to a greed-motivated action that destroys or otherwise renders useless a
favourable situation that would have provided benefits over time.[21]
"A wild goose chase" is a useless, futile waste of time and effort. It is derived from a 16th-
century horse racing event.[21]
A raised, rounded area of swelling (typically a hematoma) caused by an impact injury is
sometimes metaphorically called a "goose egg", especially if it occurs on the head.[22]

Geese as characters in cultural works

Mother Goose is a fictitious children's storybook author associated with several collections
of fairy tales and nursery rhymes translated into English during the 18th century.[23]
Gänsewein (German, lit. 'Goose wine') is a playful term for plain drinking water, first
documented the Podagrammisch Trostbüchlein by Johann Fischart (1577).[24]
Popular indie game Untitled Goose Game released in 2019 chronicles the activities of an
ornery goose in an English village.
In the late 18th century poem, The Goose and the Common, geese serve to illustrate the
social and economic issues cased by the enclosure of common land.[25]

"Gray Goose Laws" in Iceland

The oldest collection of Medieval Icelandic laws is known as "Grágás"; i.e., the Gray Goose Laws.
Various etymologies were offered for that name:
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The fact that the laws were written with a goose quill;
The fact that the laws were bound in goose skin;
Because of the age of the laws — it was then believed that geese lived longer than other
birds.[26][27][28]

Gallery

Canada goose gosling Canada geese in flight, Great Goose

Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary breastbone, the
colour of the
bones after
cooking was
used to predict
how cold winter
would be in
Lincolnshire
folkloric
traditions (North
Lincolnshire
Museum)

See also
Angel wing, a disease common in geese
Domestic goose, which includes cooking and folklore
Flying geese paradigm
List of Anseriformes by population
List of goose breeds
Roast goose
Waterfowl
Wildfowl

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Untitled Goose Game, a video game centering around a goose that

takes place in a middle-class village in England.

References
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Madsen, Ole; van Hooft, Pim; van Wieren, Sipke E.; Crooijmans,
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Three flying
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Sekercioglu, Cagan H. (2021). "Avian Use of Agricultural Areas as Migration Stopover
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0.3389%2Ffevo.2021.650641). Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. 9: 650641.
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14. Yong, Ed (2014-01-15). "Birds That Fly in a V Formation Use An Amazing Trick" (https://we
b.archive.org/web/20210222220648/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/bir
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se-an-amazing-trick) on February 22, 2021. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
15. Weimerskirch, Henri; Martin, Julien; Clerquin, Yannick; Alexandre, Peggy; Jiraskova, Sarka
(2001). "Energy Saving in Flight Formation" (https://www.nature.com/articles/35099670).
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16. Mirzaeinia, A.; Heppner, F.; Hassanalian, M. (2020). "An analytical study on leader and
follower switching in V-shaped Canada Goose flocks for energy management purposes" (ht
tps://doi.org/10.1007/s11721-020-00179-x). Swarm Intelligence. 14 (2): 117–141.
doi:10.1007/s11721-020-00179-x (https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs11721-020-00179-x).
17. Koelzch, A.; Flack, A.; Mueskens, G.J.D.M.; Kruckenberg, H.; Glazov, P.; Wikelski, M.
(2020). "Goose parents lead migration V" (https://doi.org/10.1111/jav.02392). Journal of
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18. Howard, Hildegarde (1955). "New Records and a New Species of Chendytes, an Extinct
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19. Chester, Sharon (2016-09-06). The Arctic Guide: Wildlife of the Far North (https://books.goo
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20. "Morus bassanus (Linnaeus, 1758)" (https://www.gbif.org/species/2480964). www.gbif.org.

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21. Warhol, Tom; Schneck, Marcus (2010-10-01). Birdwatcher's Daily Companion: 365 Days of
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d=YkepQQWk-TQC&dq=%22sauce+for+the+goose%22+gender&pg=PA210). Quarry
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22. Plummer, Ellen S.; Crary, Shelley E.; Buchanan, George R. (2013). "Prominent forehead
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Fj.jpeds.2013.07.012). PMID 23968747 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23968747).
23. Tsurumi, Ryoji (1990). "The Development of Mother Goose in Britain in the Nineteenth
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doi:10.1080/0015587X.1990.9715776 (https://doi.org/10.1080%2F0015587X.1990.971577
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068).
26. Boulhosa, Patricia Press. “The Law of Óláfr inn Helgi.” In Icelanders and the Kings of
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ooks?id=A4S6Bnw3HnkC), Berkeley: University of California, 1990
28. Byock, Jesse L. "Grágás: The 'Grey Goose' Law in Viking Age Iceland London: Penguin,
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Further reading
Carboneras, Carles (1992). "Family Anatidae (Ducks, Geese and Swans)". In del Hoyo,
Josep; Elliott, Andrew; Sargatal, Jordi (eds.). Handbook of Birds of the World. Volume 1:
Ostrich to Ducks. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. pp. 536–629 (https://archive.org/details/handb
ookofbirdso0001unse/page/536). ISBN 84-87334-10-5.
Terres, John K.; National Audubon Society (1991) [1980]. The Audubon Society
Encyclopedia of North American Birds. New York: Wings Books. ISBN 0-517-03288-0.

External links
Anatidae media (http://ibc.lynxeds.com/family/ducks-geese-swans-anatidae) on the Internet
Bird Collection

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