- Anser cygnoides
Identification
81-94 cm
Bi-colored neck and all black bill.
- Dark brown crown, nape and hindneck
- Pale creamy-brownish lower sides of head and foreneck
Adult
- Whitish band from lores across forehead, bordering base of bill
Juvenile
- Duller crown, nape and hindneck
- Lacks whitish face-band
Similar Species
Greylag Goose has an orange bill and lacks pale foreneck and whitish face-band.
Distribution
Asia: found in Russia, Siberia, Siberia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Mongolia, China, Tibet, Korea, Taiwan
Southeast Asia: Indochina, Laos
Feral birds of the domesticated form of this species are found in many parts of the world, but especially the USA.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
The domestic form of Anser cygnoides is also know as the Chinese Goose. The domesticated form has two morphs, brown and white, and differs from the wild type in having a shortened bill and having developed a knob at the base of the bill, not present in the wild bird, that is particularly pronounced in the female domestic goose.
Habitat
Steppes, mountain valleys, marshes and other wetlands.
Behaviour
Many on-line sources state this bird 'rarely swims'; however, there are many pictures of these geese clearly showing them on and around water.
Breeding
The 5-8 eggs are laid in a ground nest.
Vocalisation
Call: a prolonged, resounding honk, ending at higher pitch.
Alarm call: Repeated, short, harsh notes.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, B.L. Sullivan, C. L. Wood, and D. Roberson. 2013. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.8., with updates to August 2013. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Avibase
- tastejiangsu.com
- BirdLife International
- Wikipedia
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Swan Goose. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 29 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Swan_Goose
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
