Swan geese

cjh03 · #1 (**permalink**) 22-02-2010, 09:31 PM

help can anyone tell me about swan geese unsure of latin name.

Jason Green · #2 (**permalink**) 22-02-2010, 09:50 PM

Evening CJ, and welcome to WAB!

The Swan Goose is called Anser cygnoides in Latin, but isn't a UK species. See here: Swan Goose - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Take care,

Jason

Claire Fifi · #3 (**permalink**) 22-02-2010, 09:58 PM

Thats a handsome bird. Did you see one CJH?

cjh03 · #4 (**permalink**) 23-02-2010, 11:01 PM

Thank you for the info.. only from a discription on a site I found that they looked like Swan geese...I believe there are two ( both male) in the field with some domestic geese next to our home but i could not be sure. they arrived in the field last year and stayed for about two weeks. they are here again this year..unless the people that own the field put them there. i had know idea they originated from asia so maybe it is not the same bird. I took some photo's so now i'm going to try and upload them so you can see for yourselves.Kind Regards

RKB · #5 (**permalink**) 24-02-2010, 12:30 AM

Swan Goose (also called Chinese Goose) is pretty common in Britain, such as in parks etc., as many are/were kept in captivity and are now feral. They hybridise very commonly with Greylag and domestic goose, and usually get absorbed into the population. You can find birds with diminishing Swan Goose features through the generations as they are crossed and back-crossed. They also hybridise with Canadas (as do Greylag). Pure birds are probably in the minority.

cjh03 · #6 (**permalink**) 24-02-2010, 12:26 PM

Thank you so much i've uploaded pictures under unidentified..if you can find them it took me a long time to do it.
kind regards

Gill Catton · #7 (**permalink**) 24-02-2010, 02:23 PM

I think swan geese are particularly good amongst goose breeds at alerting to intruders (but not so good for eggs or to eat) and I think this is sometimes why they are amongst other domestic geese that are being bred for the table

RoyW · #8 (**permalink**) 24-02-2010, 06:35 PM

Your photographs (two of which are below) do show domesticated Swan Geese.
Swan Geese?? - Wild About Britain Pics

Swan Geese?? - Wild About Britain Pics

These individuals look like heavy, thick necked geese, and have a pronounched 'dew-lap' (the flap hanging from the neck), so may be 'African Geese' rather than 'Chinese Geese'. Both are breeds of Swan Goose, Anser cygnoides, so it's really splitting hairs to call them one or the other!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gill Catton

I think swan geese are particularly good amongst goose breeds at alerting to intruders (but not so good for eggs or to eat) and I think this is sometimes why they are amongst other domestic geese that are being bred for the table

Information on livestock websites suggests that they are actually among the best layers and have very lean meat (click on African or Chinese under the goose heading here; American Livestock Breeds Conservancy - Breeds Information ).

posie · #9 (**permalink**) 24-02-2010, 07:06 PM

Nice picture CJH....Posie...

animartco · #10 (**permalink**) 24-02-2010, 07:59 PM

The geese with the dewlaps are toulouse geese, not chinese (swan), though of course they could be crossed. The chinese goose though is very slender, and at its best, the white chinese has an upright stance and a very long thin neck. It is an ornamental bird like the sebastopol. I have pictures of white chinese if you would like to see them.
Have just seen your pictures. The dark goose is mainly chinese with a bit of toulouse and the white one is an emden.