Goose

''Other uses: Goose (disambiguation)'' ''Anser''
''Branta''
''Chen''
''Cereopsis''
† see also: Swan, Duck
Anatidae Goose (plural geese) is the general English name for a considerable number of birds, belonging to the family Anatidae. This family also includes the swans, which are mostly larger than geese, and the ducks, which are smaller. == Introduction == This article deals with the true geese in the subfamily ''Anserinae''. A number of other waterbirds, mainly related to the shelducks, have "goose" as part of their name. True geese are medium to large birds, always (with the exception of the Néné) associated to a greater or lesser extent with water. Most species in Europe, Asia and North America are strongly bird migration as wild birds, breeding in the far north and wintering much further south. However, escapes and introductions have led to resident feral populations of several species. Geese have been domesticated for centuries. In the West, farmyard geese are descended from the Greylag Goose, but in Asia the Swan Goose has been farmed for at least as long. All geese eat an exclusively vegetarian diet, and some can become pests when flocks feed on arable crops. Geese tend to lay a smaller number of eggs than ducks. However, both parents protect the nest and young, which usually results in a higher survival rate for the young geese, known as goslings. A group of geese on the ground is called a ''gaggle''. When flying, a group of geese is known as a ''wedge'' or a ''skein''. ''See List of collective nouns for birds'' == Goose species == === True geese === The following are the true goose species. Genus ''Anser'', Grey Geese * Greylag Goose ''Anser anser'' * White-fronted Goose ''A. albifrons'' * Lesser White-fronted Goose ''A. erythropus'' * Bean Goose ''A. fabalis'' * Pink-footed Goose ''A. brachyrhynchus'' * Bar-headed Goose ''A. indicus'' * Swan Goose, ''A. cygnoides'' Genus ''Anser'' or ''Chen'' (depending on authority cited) * Snow Goose ''Anser caerulescens'' or ''Chen caerulescens'' * Ross's Goose, ''A. rossii'' or ''C. rossii'' * Emperor Goose, ''A. canagicus'' or ''C. canagica'' Genus ''Branta'', Black Geese * Brent Goose ''Branta bernicla'' * Barnacle Goose ''B. leucopsis'' * Canada Goose ''B. canadensis'' * Red-breasted Goose ''B. ruficollis'' * Néné or Hawaiian Goose, ''B. sandvicensis'' Genus ''Cereopsis'' * Cape Barren Goose, ''Cereopsis novaehollandiae'' === Other species called "geese" === There are a number of mainly southern hemisphere birds named as geese which are more correctly placed with the shelducks in the Tadorninae. These are: * Andean Goose, ''Chloephaga melanoptera'' * Upland Goose, ''Chloephaga picta'' * Kelp Goose, ''Chloephaga hybrida'' * Ashy-headed Goose, ''Chloephaga poliocephala'' * Ruddy-headed Goose, ''Chloephaga rubidiceps'' * Orinoco Goose, ''Neochen jubata'' * Egyptian Goose, ''Alopochen aegyptiacus'' The three perching ducks in the genus ''Nettapus'' are named as pygmy geese, such as the Cotton Pygmy Goose, ''Nettapus javanica'', but are true ducks. The unusual magpie goose is in a family of its own, the ''Anseranatidae''. ==Etymology== ''Goose'' in its origins is one of the oldest words of the Indo-European languages, the modern names deriving from the proto-Indo-European root, ''ghans'', hence Sanskrit ''hamsa'' (feminine ''hamsii''), Latin ''anser'', Greek ''kh�n'' etc. In the Germanic languages, the root word led to Old English ''gos'' with the plural ''g�s'', German ''Gans'' and Old Norse ''gas''. Other modern derivatives are Russian ''gus'' and Old Irish ''g�iss''. In non-technical use, the male goose is called a "gander" (Anglo-Saxon ''gandra'') and the female is the "goose". Source: ''Noah_Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)'' ==Geese in cooking== Geese can be roasting as a whole bird, though their size precludes this preparation except for banquets and other festive meals (such as on Christmas). Geese are used for the production of ''foie gras''. ==Geese in fiction and myth== When Aphrodite first came ashore she was welcomed by the Charites (Roman "Graces"), whose chariot was drawn by geese. There are Mother Goose tales, such as a farmwife might have told; there is the proverbial goose that laid the golden eggs, warning about the perils of greed. And there is the goose as a veiled reference to the penis in the verses :''Goosy Goosy Gander, where dost thou wander?'' :''Upstairs, downstairs, in my lady's chamber.'' The geese in the temple of Juno on the Capitoline were said by Livy to have saved Rome from the Gauls around 390 BC when they were disturbed in a night attack. The story may be an attempt to explain the origin of the sacred flock of geese at Rome. There is a tale of Trickster and the geese in the North American Trickster cycle [http://hotcakencyclopedia.com/ho.Trickster&Geese.html]. Liliane Bodson and Daniel Marcolungo, ''L'oie de bon aloi: Aspects de l'histoire ancienne de l'oie domestique'' [The goose in ancient life and folklore]. Vise (Mus�e Regional d'Archeologie et d'Histoire de Vise), 1994, discusses the image and lore of domestic geese in classical antiquity, with a separate chapter on the goose in folklore. There is a Christian reference (Father Augustine) to the goose that relates to the coming of the winter solstice or as it is called "The Great Freezing". One of the reasons for harsh winter seasons was to scare or cull the goose population (a creation of the devil). This cyclical process is supposed to be symbolic of the struggle between evil(Satan) and God. Evil may never be completely put down, but God shall always triumph. == See also: == *wildfowl *waterfowl Anserinae Anser Geese Heraldic birds Poultry nds:Gans

Goose

Is the genus ''Chen'' pronounced [kin] or [chen] by zoologist? --User:Menchi 02:19, 8 Nov 2004 (UTC)

Goose

See other meanings of words starting from letter:

G

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Words begining with Goose:

Goose
Goose
Goose
Goose
Goose-beaked_Whale
Goose-beaked_whale
Gooseberries
Gooseberry
Gooseberry
Gooseberry_Hill_National_Park
Goosebump
Goosebumps
Goosebumps
Goosebumps:_The_Haunted_Mask
Goosebumps_(television)
Goosebumps_(television)
Goosebumps_Series_2000
Goosefish
Goosefoot
Goosefoot_Family
Goosefoot_family
Goosegoosegoose
Goosegoosegoose
Goosegrass
Gooseneck
Gooseneck
Gooseneck_Barnacle
Gooseneck_barnacle
Gooseneck_State_Park
Gooseswan
Goosetave_Gander
Goosey
Goosey
Goose_(disambiguation)
Goose_Air_Base
Goose_barnacle
Goose_Bay_Airport
Goose_bump
Goose_bumps
Goose_Creek
Goose_Creek,_Kentucky
Goose_Creek,_KY
Goose_Creek,_SC
Goose_Creek,_South_Carolina
Goose_Creek_State_Park
Goose_egg
Goose_flesh
Goose_Gonsoulin
Goose_Goslin
Goose_Gossage
Goose_Green
Goose_Green,_Falkland_Islands
Goose_Hollow/Southwest_Jefferson_Street_(MAX_station)
Goose_Island
Goose_Island
Goose_Island,_Chicago
Goose_Island,_New_York
Goose_Island_(Chicago)
Goose_Island_(San_Juan_Islands)
Goose_Lake
Goose_Lake,_IA
Goose_Lake,_Iowa
Goose_pimples
Goose_Pond_Mountain_State_Park
Goose_Prairie_Township,_Minnesota
Goose_Prairie_Township,_MN