A goose is a bird of any of several waterfowl species in the family Anatidae. This group comprises the genera Anser and Branta. Some other birds, mostly related to the shelducks, have "goose" as part of their names. More distantly related members of the family Anatidae are swans, most of which are larger than true geese, and ducks, which are smaller.
The nene, also known as the nēnē or the Hawaiian goose, is a species of bird endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. The nene is exclusively found in the wild on the islands of Oahu, Maui, Kauaʻi, Molokai, and Hawaiʻi. In 1957, it was designated as the official state bird of the state of Hawaiʻi.
The greylag goose or graylag goose is a species of large goose in the waterfowl family Anatidae and the type species of the genus Anser. It has mottled and barred grey and white plumage and an orange beak and pink legs. A large bird, it measures between 74 and 91 centimetres in length, with an average weight of 3.3 kilograms. Its distribution is widespread, with birds from the north of its range in Europe and Asia migrating southwards to spend the winter in warmer places. It is the ancestor of most breeds of domestic goose, having been domesticated at least as early as 1360 BCE. The genus name is from anser, the Latin for "goose".
The greater white-fronted goose is a species of goose related to the smaller lesser white-fronted goose. It is named for the patch of white feathers bordering the base of its bill, in fact albifrons comes from the Latin albus "white" and frons "forehead". In Europe it has been known as the white-fronted goose; in North America it is known as the greater white-fronted goose, and this name is also increasingly adopted internationally. Even more distinctive are the salt-and-pepper markings on the breast of adult birds, which is why the goose is colloquially called the "specklebelly" in North America.
The snow goose is a species of goose native to North America. Both white and dark morphs exist, the latter often known as blue goose. Its name derives from the typically white plumage. The species was previously placed in the genus Chen, but is now typically included in the "gray goose" genus Anser.
The barnacle goose is a species of goose that belongs to the genus Branta of black geese, which contains species with largely black plumage, distinguishing them from the grey Anser species. Despite its superficial similarity to the brant goose, genetic analysis has shown it is an eastern derivative of the cackling goose lineage.
The Anserinae are a subfamily in the waterfowl family Anatidae. It includes the swans and the true geese. Under alternative systematical concepts, it is split into two subfamilies, the Anserinae contain the geese and the ducks, while the Cygninae contain the swans.
The Canada goose, sometimes called Canadian goose, is a large wild goose with a black head and neck, white cheeks, white under its chin, and a brown body. It is native to the arctic and temperate regions of North America, and it is occasionally found during migration across the Atlantic in northern Europe. It has been introduced to France, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, New Zealand, Japan, Chile, Argentina, and the Falkland Islands. Like most geese, the Canada goose is primarily herbivorous and normally migratory; often found on or close to fresh water, the Canada goose is also common in brackish marshes, estuaries, and lagoons.
The black geese of the genus Branta are waterfowl belonging to the true geese and swans subfamily Anserinae. They occur in the northern coastal regions of the Palearctic and all over North America, migrating to more southernly coasts in winter, and as resident birds in the Hawaiian Islands. Alone in the Southern Hemisphere, a self-sustaining feral population derived from introduced Canada geese is also found in New Zealand.
The Ross's goose is a white goose with black wingtips and a relatively short neck. It is the smallest of the three white geese that breed in North America. It is similar in appearance to a white-phase snow goose, but about 40% smaller. Other differences from the snow goose are that the bill is smaller in proportion to its body and lacks "black lips". The dark phase is extremely rare.
The cackling goose is a species of goose found in North America and East Asia.
The brant or brent goose is a small goose of the genus Branta. There are three subspecies, all of which winter along temperate-zone sea-coasts and breed on the high-Arctic tundra.
The nēnē-nui or wood-walking goose is an extinct species of goose that once inhabited Maui and possibly Kauaʻi, Oʻahu and perhaps Molokaʻi in the Hawaiian Islands. It is known from a large number of subfossil bones found in Holocene cave sediments.
The Lostwood National Wildlife Refuge is located in the U.S. state of North Dakota. The refuge manages two other refuges and two wetland management districts. The refuge also includes the Lostwood Wilderness which comprises almost a quarter of all the area of the refuge. The refuge is considered a prime migratory and nesting bird sanctuary with over 250 different species identified and tens of thousands of birds using the refuge annually. In 1964, the once believed to be extinct giant Canada goose a subspecies of the better known and much more common Canada goose, was reintroduced into the refuge, and their numbers have greatly increased. Additionally, numerous mammal species reside on the refuge, the largest being the moose.
The Aleutian cackling goose is a small subspecies of the cackling goose averaging 1.7 to 2.1 kg in weight. It was one of 122 species of animals, birds, and fishes first documented for science by the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
The Canada goose was introduced to New Zealand as a game bird in 1905. They became problematic because of damage they cause to pastures and crops.
The dusky Canada goose is a subspecies of the Canada goose. They are the darkest variant, similar to the Pacific cackling goose. Tagged dusky geese have red bands with white letters on them attached to their neck. They represent one of the smallest populations of Canada goose in the Pacific Northwest. Due to the species minimal population and exclusive breeding grounds, the dusky Canada goose is a species of interest to the Pacific Flyway Council and the U.S. Forest Service. The Cordova Ranger District, on the Chugach National Forest, has been working since 1984 to implement a monitoring and restoration program for the geese.
The Moffitt's Canada goose, also known as the Western Canada goose or Great Basin Canada Goose is a subspecies of the Canada goose. Native to the western interior of North America surrounding the Rocky Mountains, its range has expanded due to introductions to various regions of western North America.
The small cackling goose, also known as the Ridgway's goose, is the smallest subspecies of cackling goose and the smallest variant of white-cheeked goose.
The Vancouver Canada goose is a subspecies of Canada goose, residing in western British Columbia and southern Alaska.
