Goose

Goose, common name for a number of species of water birds of the same family as ducks and swans. When applied to individual birds, the word goose strictly speaking refers to the female, the male being called gander. Only the word goose, however, is used in the names of species.

Several groups of waterfowl, all generally larger than ducks and smaller than swans, have been called geese. The so-called true geese belong to three genera. These are birds of the northern hemisphere, nesting in arctic and temperate areas. Most are strongly migratory, but are able to winter as far north as New England and Alaska. In North America the best-known and most widely distributed species is the Canada goose, which has also been successfully introduced in Great Britain and Scandinavia. Its nesting grounds extend from arctic Canada and Alaska to the prairie states of the United States. It is geographically variable in both color and size, including subspecies ranging in length from 64 to 114 cm (25 to 45 in). All have the tail, head, and neck black with a white patch on the cheek, and the body some shade of brown. Similar in size to the smallest Canada geese is the brant, which nests in the Arctic around the world and winters chiefly on salt water. Also nesting in the Arctic are two white species, the snow goose and the smaller Ross's goose. The blue goose, a bluish-gray bird with a white head, was long thought to be a separate species but is now known to be a color phase of the snow goose. The ne-ne, a terrestrial goose endemic to Hawaii, and the state's emblem, was saved from extinction through breeding in captivity.

Among the true geese of Eurasia, the greylag is the ancestor of most breeds of domestic geese; the Chinese goose is an exception, being a heavyset descendant of the slender swan goose of Asia.

A number of breeds of geese are raised domestically. Among the most important domestic geese are the Toulouse goose, an all-gray breed originating in France; the Embden, an all-white goose originating in Germany; and the African, a tall, gray goose that fattens more rapidly than any other breed. Both the flesh and the eggs of geese are eaten. Geese are the source of the delicacy pâté de foie gras, made from goose livers that are abnormally enlarged by overfeeding the geese and then depriving them of exercise. Domestic geese are also commercially valuable for their feathers, which are used in pillows, insulated clothing, and sleeping bags.

Not closely related to the true geese are several waterfowl that share the common name. These include the primitive magpie goose of Australia, with strong toes that are only partially webbed, and the sheldgeese of southern South America and the Falkland Islands. Sheldgeese differ from true geese in that the sexes may be quite different in their coloration.

Scientific classification: Geese belong to the family Anatidae, of the order Anseriformes. True geese belong to the genera Anser,Branta, and Chen. The Canada goose is classified as Branta canadensis, and the brant as Branta bernicla. The snow goose is classified as Chen caerulescens, and Ross's goose as Chen rossii, although both are often placed in the genus Anser. The ne-ne is classified as Branta sandricensis. The greylag is classified as Anser anser, and the swan goose as Anser cygnoides. The magpie goose is classified as Anseranas semipalmata. Sheldgeese make up the genus Chloephaga.

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