# Greylag × Swan Goose (*Anser anser × cygnoides*) The Greylag × Swan Goose is a special mix of two types of geese! They have beautiful feathers and love to swim in water. You can often see them in parks and lakes, waddling around happily. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 3/5 · Moderate - **Snaps:** 1 - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![Greylag × Swan Goose](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Anser_cygnoides.jpg&width=800) Photo: Alan D. Wilson, www.naturespicsonline.com, CC BY-SA 2.5 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anser_cygnoides.jpg) ## Appearance The Greylag × Swan Goose is a large, sturdy waterfowl with mixed plumage, typically a mottled grey body sometimes with brown tones. Its bill can range from orange to black, often with a knob at the base, and its legs are usually pinkish-orange. It has a distinctive upright posture. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Anseriformes - **Family:** Anatidae - **Genus:** Anser ## Interesting facts - Baby geese, called goslings, follow their parents everywhere in a line! - Some geese are known to 'adopt' orphaned goslings into their own families! - Their bills have special 'teeth' called lamellae to help them filter food! - These geese often form strong pair bonds that last their whole lives! ## Special abilities - **Sharp Sight & Hearing:** Greylag × Swan Goose has excellent vision and hearing that helps them spot predators from far away, keeping their flock safe. - **Powerful Swimmers:** Greylag × Swan Goose can paddle strongly with their webbed feet, allowing them to escape danger quickly in water and forage for plants. - **Vocal Warnings:** Greylag × Swan Goose can make loud honking calls that helps them communicate with each other and warn the group of any approaching threats. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 75-95 cm - **Wingspan:** 150-185 cm - **Weight:** 2.5-4.5 kg - **Lifespan:** 10-20 years - **Speed:** 70 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 4-9 - **Incubation:** 27-32 days ## Diet & Feeding These geese mostly munch on green plants, seeds, and roots found on land or in water. - **Primary Foods:** Grasses, Clover, Aquatic plants, Seeds, Roots - **Foraging Method:** Grazing ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Red Fox](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-fox) (*Vulpes vulpes*) — Foxes prey on eggs and young goslings. - **Eats:** Broadleaf Cattail (*Typha latifolia*) — Geese graze on stems and roots of aquatic plants. - **Eats:** Perennial Ryegrass (*Lolium perenne*) — They forage for this common grass in fields and parks. ## Traits - [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. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [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. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. - [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:** 3/5 · Moderate Always watch geese from a distance and don’t feed them, as they can be protective. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Greylag × Swan 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 Greylag × Swan Goose? 75-95 cm ### What is Greylag × Swan Goose's wingspan? 150-185 cm ### How much does Greylag × Swan Goose weigh? 2.5-4.5 kg ### How long does Greylag × Swan Goose live? 10-20 years ### How fast can Greylag × Swan Goose move? 70 km/h ### What does Greylag × Swan Goose eat? These geese mostly munch on green plants, seeds, and roots found on land or in water. ### Where is Greylag × Swan Goose usually found? Wetlands ## Where to spot - [Fort St. Jean Baptiste State Historic Site](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fort-st-jean-baptiste-state-historic-site) — Louisiana, US · Nature Reserve - [Natchitoches Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/natchitoches-historic-district) — Louisiana, US · Historic District - [Rebel State Historic Site](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/rebel-state-historic-site) — Louisiana, US · Nature Reserve [View all places to see Greylag × Swan Goose](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/greylag-swan-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: [Greylag × Swan Goose: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/greylag-swan-goose)