Please wait while we load your article...

Home > Geese

Learn more about "Geese"

Goose

Goose (plural: '''geese''') is the English name for a considerable number of birds, belonging to the family (biology)|family Anatidae. This family also includes swans, most of which are larger than geese, and ducks, which are smaller. This article deals with the '''#True geese|true geese''' in the subfamily Anserinae, tribe (biology)|tribe '''Anserini'''. A number of other waterbirds, mainly related to the shelducks, have "goose" as part of their name.

Etymology

Goose in its origins is one of the oldest words of the Indo-European languages (Crystal), the modern names deriving from the proto-Indo-European root, *''ghans-'', thence Sanskrit ''hamsa'' (feminine ''hamsii''), Persian ''Ghaz'', Latin ''anser'', Greek ''khén'' etc. In the Germanic languages, the root word led to Old English ''gōs'' with the plural ''gēs'', 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''. The term goose applies to the birds in general, and to a female in particular. The word '''gander''' (Old English ''gandra'') is used for a male in particular. Young birds before fledging are called '''goslings'''. A group of geese on the ground is called a '''gaggle'''; when flying in formation is called a '''wedge''' or a '''skein''' (see also list of collective nouns for birds).

True geese

The following are the living genus|genera of '''true geese''':
- ''Anser (genus)|Anser'' - Grey Geese, including the domesticated goose and the Swan Goose
- ''Chen (genus)|Chen'' - White Geese (often included in ''Anser'')
- ''Branta'' - Black Geese, such as 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 (Late Quaternary prehistoric birds|prehistoric) 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 a lot of the different species of true geese that have been around since about 10 million years ago in the Miocene. The aptly-named ''Anser atavus'' ("Great-great-great-grandfather goose") from some 12 million years ago had even more plesiomorphies in common with swans. In addition, there are some goose-like birds known from subfossil remains found on the Hawaiian Islands. See Anserinae for more. 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 which result in more young being produced.

Other birds called "geese"

There are a number of mainly southern hemisphere birds called "geese", most of which belong to the shelduck subfamily Tadorninae. These are:
- Orinoco Goose, ''Neochen jubata''
- Egyptian Goose, ''Alopochen aegyptiacus''
- The South American sheldgoose|sheldgeese, genus ''Chloephaga''
- The Late Quaternary prehistoric birds|prehistoric Madagascar Sheldgoose, ''Centrornis majori'', the "Woodard" The Blue-winged Goose, ''Cyanochen cyanopterus'' belongs either to these, or to lineage closer to ducks. 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 species of small waterfowl in the genus ''Nettapus'' are named "pygmy geese", e.g. the Cotton Pygmy Goose (''N. javanica''). They seem to represent an ancient lineage like the Cape Barren Goose and the Spur-winged Goose. A genus of prehistorically extinct seaducks, ''Chendytes'', is sometimes called "diving-geese" due to their large size. The unusual Magpie-goose is in a family of its own, the Anseranatidae. The Northern Gannet, a seabird, is also known as the "Solan Goose" although it is a bird unrelated to the true geese, or any other Anseriformes for that matter.

Notes

References

- (1992): Family Anatidae (Ducks, Geese and Swans). ''In:'' : ''Handbook of Birds of the World'' (Volume 1: Ostrich to Ducks): 536-629, plates 40-50. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. ISBN 84-87334-10-5
- (1998): ''The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language'' (Paperback) ISBN 0-521-55967-7
- (1991): ''The Audubon Society Encyclopedia of North American Birds''. Wings Books, New York. Reprint of 1980 edition. ISBN 0-517-03288-0

External links

- Goose videos on the Internet Bird Collection Category:Anserini Category:Birds of the United States Category:Geese| Category:Heraldic birds Category:Tribes of birds

Related Images

Sources: StartLearningNow, Wikipedia | Usage license: GNU FDL

Welcome to Start Learning Now. Explore to your heart's content, and we hope you enjoy reading the material we have assembled for you here!

Related News

Further Resources


	home lucky pick

Related Resources