# Goose (*Anser anser*) Geese are large water birds with long necks and loud honking calls. They can be seen flying in a V-shape formation during migration. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 14 - **Habitat:** Wetlands - **Also known as:** Greylag Goose ![Goose](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771426662/objects/6129.jpg) ## Appearance The Goose is a large, sturdy bird with a grey-brown body, a lighter underside, and a distinctive bright orange bill and legs. It has a relatively long neck, making it stand out from smaller ducks. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Anseriformes - **Family:** Anatidae - **Genus:** Anser ## Interesting facts - A group of geese on the ground is called a gaggle, but in flight, it's a skein! - Geese can recognize individual human faces and remember them! - Geese often stand on one leg to reduce heat loss in cold weather. - They can sleep with one eye open, allowing half their brain to stay alert! ## Special abilities - **V-Formation Flight:** Geese can fly in a V-formation because of aerodynamics that help them conserve energy on long migrations. - **Fierce Parent:** Goose has powerful wings and a strong bite that helps them fiercely protect their nests and young from predators. - **Waterproof Feathers:** Goose has special oil-producing glands that help them keep their feathers waterproof and buoyant while swimming. - **Efficient Grazing:** Goose has a serrated bill that helps them efficiently snip and pull up tough grasses and aquatic plants. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 74-91 cm - **Wingspan:** 147-182 cm - **Weight:** 2.5-4.1 kg - **Lifespan:** 10-20 years - **Speed:** 80 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 4-9 - **Incubation:** 27-29 days - **Migration Distance:** 3000 km ## Diet & Feeding Geese primarily eat plants like grasses, seeds, and aquatic vegetation, making them mostly vegetarian. - **Age differences:** Goslings initially eat more protein-rich insects alongside plants. - **Primary Foods:** grasses, seeds, aquatic plants, roots - **Foraging Method:** Grazing ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Red Fox](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-fox) (*Vulpes vulpes*) — Red foxes prey on goose eggs, goslings, and sometimes adults. - **Eaten by:** [White-tailed Eagle](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-eagle) (*Haliaeetus albicilla*) — Large raptors can prey on geese, especially young or weakened ones. - **Depends on:** [Common Reed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-reed) (*Phragmites australis*) — Reeds provide nesting cover and food sources for geese in wetlands. - **Eats:** [White Clover](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-clover) (*Trifolium repens*) — Geese commonly graze on clover and other pasture plants. ## Traits - [Wildlife](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats. - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Webbed Feet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/webbed-feet): Characterized by having toes connected by a membrane, typically aiding in swimming. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. - [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Enjoy watching geese from a safe distance and avoid getting too close to their nests. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Goose? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Goose? 74-91 cm ### What is Goose's wingspan? 147-182 cm ### How much does Goose weigh? 2.5-4.1 kg ### How long does Goose live? 10-20 years ### How fast can Goose move? 80 km/h ### What does Goose eat? Geese primarily eat plants like grasses, seeds, and aquatic vegetation, making them mostly vegetarian. ### Where is Goose usually found? Wetlands ## Where to spot - [Birmingham Wildlife Conservation Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/birmingham-wildlife-conservation-park) — England, GB · Zoo - [Fresno Chaffee Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fresno-chaffee-zoo) — California, US · Zoo - [Honolulu Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/honolulu-zoo) — Hawaii, US · Zoo - [Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/omahas-henry-doorly-zoo-and-aquarium) — Nebraska, US · Aquarium - [Pairi Daiza](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/pairi-daiza) — Hainaut, BE · Zoo - [Tierpark Hellabrunn](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/tierpark-hellabrunn) — Bavaria, DE · Zoo [View all places to see Goose](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/goose) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Goose: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/goose)