For ornithologists and hunting enthusiasts, wild geese are of great interest. They belong to the duck family and differ from domestic representatives in appearance, behavior and lifestyle. In nature there are about 10 species of these birds. Wild breed geese prefer to stay away from humans, so it is difficult to meet them. For their settlement, they choose meadows, fields and thickets near bodies of fresh water.
General signs
Wild geese are classified as members of the duck family. But there are several differences:
- Long neck;
- strong physique;
- big beak
Geese are significantly smaller in size than swans, their necks are shorter, and their bodies are smaller and lighter. The head has full plumage. The wild goose is significantly larger than ducks. Their beak, unlike ducks, is narrower and higher. The plumage of females and males is the same. Its main colors are white, gray, black and brown.
Wild geese are distinguished by their beautiful and varied plumage of brown, grey, white and black.
Along the edge of the beak, geese have special ridge plates that prevent food from jumping out of the beak during the process of filtering it from water or silt. These plates also serve as teeth when collecting green food in the pasture.
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They are a rich source of legends and tales. For example, ancient Egyptian mythology says that a goose laid the primary egg, from which the sun god Ra emerged. For Brahma, the God of creation in Hinduism, the vahana is a swan or goose (mount). For the Chinese, this bird represents yang, courage, light, speed, inspiration, and marital happiness.
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Habitats
Habitats depend on the species. They build their nests, depending on the species, in colonies or alone. In one season, birds breed only once. It is common for wild geese to spend most of their time on land, which sets them apart from ducks and swans. They can live on the coast of fresh and salt water bodies. Geese have webbed feet, and thanks to this they can swim and dive well, paddling with them like flippers. When flying, they emit characteristic screams.
Main places of stay:
- in damp meadows;
- in overgrown marshy areas;
- at river mouths;
- near the stream;
- near lakes, ponds, etc.
Also, when organizing a nest, wild geese prefer to live next to birds of prey (falcons, buzzards), which protect their territory from predatory animals.
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They are considered one of the very first animals domesticated by humans. Scientists believe they were most likely first domesticated in Ancient Egypt, approximately 3,000 years ago. Although some scientists are confident that they were domesticated much earlier, approximately 11,000 years ago. Despite this, they have never been exploited on the same commercial scale as chickens or ducks.
Nesting Features
Reproduction begins only in the 3rd or 4th year after birth. A couple is matched for life. That's why goose fidelity exists. After the flight, the birds immediately form nesting sites, the construction of which begins only when the last precipitation subsides. The goose is engaged in the construction of the nest, while the male is recovering strength after a long flight. To create a nest, any plants are used, including aquatic ones, these can also be branches and sticks. A wild bird necessarily builds a bedding using soft grass.
Nests are built only at a time when the ground is completely free of snow cover.
Birds breed once a year. The nesting period depends on the habitat. Wild geese lay eggs in the spring, less often in the summer. Typically, a wild goose lays up to 10 eggs at a time. The shade of the shell will depend on the breed, but is usually white with small green flecks. Only the female incubates the eggs, covering the eggs with grass litter. Wild geese are very caring mothers. They do not leave the nest unattended for a minute. Even during feeding they do not leave the nest.
The diet during nesting periods consists almost entirely of aquatic vegetation; birds are especially eager to eat the most tender parts of the plant, which is called pondweed.
Reproduction and lifespan
Domestic goose.
These birds are monogamous; they mate once and for life. Nests are made directly on the ground, in a place where there is dense vegetation. Do it near water, but in a dry place. A nest is built from branches, stems, and leaves. Inside it is a litter of down, which the female plucks from her chest. The clutch usually consists of 4-12 eggs. While the female incubates the eggs, the male guards the nest. A month later, chicks hatch from the eggs. From the next day after birth, the offspring can go down with their parents to the water and look for food. If the chicks are in any danger, the female protects them. Males hide at this time. Sexual maturity occurs in geese at the age of 2-3 years. The lifespan of geese in the wild is 20 years. In captivity, these birds can live up to 35 years.
Where do birds spend the winter?
The wintering period for most species begins in mid- or early autumn. For this purpose, birds choose warm southern regions, where they can calmly wait out the harsh frosts of the taiga and tundra. If we talk separately about each variety, then:
| Name | Where does it winter |
| Bean goose | Winters in the Atlantic (Germany, Japan, England, India) |
| Grey goose | The coasts of Africa, Europe, the islands of Britain, China, Indochina, Afghanistan and so on |
| White goose | Similar birds fly to the Pacific coast (Mexico, Louisiana, most of North America) |
| Beloshey | These representatives fly to the Western Hemisphere |
| White-fronted goose | White-fronted goose flying in a subtropical climate |
| Lesser Lesser Lesser Lesser Lesser Lesser Lesser Lesser Lesser Lesser Lesser Lesser | China, Greece, Black Sea coast |
Mixture
- “There lived two cheerful geese with a grandmother” - either a Ukrainian or a Russian folk song, according to which children in music school are taught a single-voice melody.
— In Mikhail Romm’s film “Nine Days of One Year” from 1962, Alexey Batalov plays a nuclear physicist named Gusev. Having made the discovery, the hero laments: “My last name has gone wrong. Volt! Ampere! Curie! 500 volts - sounds, 1000 amperes - sounds, 850 roentgens - also sounds, although not very fun. And here is Gusev. Well, the unit of radiation intensity will have to be called “goose”. Our installation has a capacity of 50 geese. Stupid."
Exhibits of the Crystal Museum in the city of Gus-Khrustalny © Wikimedia Commons
- The Gus River flows through the Vladimir and Ryazan regions. The cities of Gus-Khrustalny and Gus-Zhelezny are located on it. The first is home to the famous glass factory, the second was once an iron foundry.
Species of wild geese
Today, among all wild geese, two species are distinguished: geese and geese. Let's look at how they differ in more detail.
Grey goose
Gray - this species is the most popular and largest in number, which lives on the Eurasian mainland. It has a gray-brown color, the belly and chest are white. This is the largest and most powerful goose of all, its weight can approach 5 kg. The gray feathered bird has a large, massive body, the length of which can approach 90 cm.
A distinctive feature of the bird is the unusual color of its beak and legs - grayish-pink.
It is difficult to determine gender differences by appearance; males are only slightly larger than females. The gray goose has a wide habitat and is found in Western Europe, throughout the former USSR, as well as in Asia. The lifespan of these geese is up to 80 years.
Gooseberry
The bird is found throughout Europe. These wild geese have gray feathers, orange legs and a yellow and black bill. The main distinguishing feature of the bean goose is its weight, which is slightly less than the gray goose and amounts to 4.5 kg.
There are two subspecies of bean grass:
- f. middendorffii – the largest of the species;
- Serrirostris is the largest beak of this species.
Geese of this variety gather in flocks of 60 individuals. They spend the summer near bodies of water in the tundra and taiga, and in the winter months they feed mainly on plowed fields. Flocks of bean goose fly in an angle or wedge.
Traditionally, ornithologists identify four species of bean goose, which differ slightly in external characteristics (shade of plumage, shape and size of beak, carcass weight):
- Taiga.
- European.
- East Siberian.
- Short-billed.
Of the birds living on our territory, bean goose birds are the earliest to migrate; you can see representatives in their homeland already in early spring.
Hunting for birds is allowed, but it is very difficult, since these geese are unusually careful and sensitive . Therefore, getting close to them is almost impossible.
White or polar
One of the most beautiful representatives of wild geese. The bird is distinguished by snow-white feathers and a black stripe at the ends of its wings. The average weight of the bird is 5 kg, the body length is on average about 80 cm.
Did you know? To protect eggs from a dangerous predator - the arctic fox, female white geese prefer to build nests near the habitats of the polar owl, which is a natural enemy for the arctic fox.
By nature: very noisy; when a flock flies by, it can be heard from afar. The white goose is quite rare in Russia - only on Wrangel Island, from which it flies to the Gulf of Mexico or south for the winter.
Sukhonos
A distinctive feature of the bird is its dark beak with a large bump at the base . The upper part of the body is dark brown, the middle part is slightly lighter, but the back and sides of the suknos are striped brown. Prefers to live in the steppe or mountainous regions of Siberia (southern), Mongolia, China (northern part). Weighs approximately 4.8 kg.
They winter mainly in eastern China or Japan. The difference between ganders and geese is pronounced: the male has a characteristic growth on his beak. In captivity, birds live up to 25 years. The lifespan in the wild of the sukhnosa is about 20 years.
Mountain
The breed is distinguished by the highest flight; geese can rise to a height of 10 km. The goose is perfectly adapted to flight, it is light - only 3.5 kg and has powerful wings. The birds are gray in color, with a snow-white head and neck. A pair of black stripes are clearly visible in the back of the head. The color of the beak and limbs is yellow. Birds are found on mountain rivers and lakes.
This goose got its name due to its habitat. Birds nest in the Pamirs, Tien Shan, and Altai. There they can feed on numerous shellfish and fish. Geese also consume green food, which they collect on the banks. Geese fly to India for the winter
Kuban breed
The Kuban gray goose is a relatively new breed, which is a significant competitor to large gray geese, primarily in terms of egg production. The ancestors were Gorky and Chinese geese. This means that in the veins of the Kuban people flows the blood not only of wild gray birds, but also of the suknos, or wild knobby goose. The gray Kuban domestic goose has the following characteristics:
- the head is large (before the body proportions are disturbed);
- beak with a small bump at the base;
- the neck is short, beautifully curved;
- the breast sticks out with the wheel forward;
- legs are short, muscular;
- from the top of the head along the back to the tail itself there is a black stripe (a characteristic feature of the breed).
Geese of the Kuban gray breed are inferior in weight to their large relatives. The weight of Kuban gray geese at 2 months is only 3.55 kg. An adult male weighs 5.5 kg, and a female weighs 5 kg, but the number of eggs is much larger, up to 80 eggs per year. One egg weighs on average 140-160 g. The popularity of the breed is due to the fact that it tolerates frost and dampness well and rarely gets sick. According to this indicator, Kuban geese are significantly superior to both Tambov and Ukrainian large gray geese. They are bred in Siberia, the Far East, and brought to the Ural region.
Goose
The wild goose is a subspecies of the wild goose that belongs to the category of waterfowl. Geese are very similar in appearance to geese, but are smaller in size. Their beak is shorter, short legs are predominantly black. The feathers are predominantly dark in color: brown or black. Birds cannot cackle. Their cry is similar to the barking of a dog. The number of their species is also numerous.
There are several subspecies of geese, which will be discussed below.
Canadian
This is the most famous goose, breeding in Canada and Alaska, it is called the North American goose. The size and plumage are different for each of the twelve subspecies, which live in different habitats. The maximum number of birds lives in the Arctic to the northern borders of the United States.
This species of goose, sometimes called the American goose
Geese are found in small numbers in the north of Great Britain and Scandinavia. The color is grayish-brown, the chest is snow-white, the neck and head are dark. This species is distinguished by white spots on the cheeks and a milky stripe on the tail. It is often kept in captivity.
Goose fidelity
Geese have strong attachments to other birds in the group (flock). If someone gets sick, injured or shot, a pair of geese will leave the formation and follow the goose down to help and protect.
They stay with the disabled goose until it dies or takes off again, then they catch up with the group or set off with another flock of geese.
Geese spend most of their time searching for plant food. All geese eat an exclusively vegetarian diet.
They scream loudly and straighten their long necks when they are afraid or threatened.
Geese typically lay a small number of eggs. Both parents protect the nest and young, which usually results in higher survival rates of goslings.
Features of hunting wild geese
The goose is a desirable prey for any hunter. The most common methods of hunting are on flights, from the entrance and on profiles or stuffed animals that are placed in bird feeding areas.
After spending the night on the water, at dawn the geese fly out to fatten, then at noon they fly to a watering hole, rest, and in the afternoon they fly off again to feed..
Ducks constantly stay near the water and feed only in the coastal zone. Such places in the fields are quite noticeable - by paw prints and the presence of a large amount of droppings.
It should be remembered that hunting of many species of wild geese may be prohibited due to their small numbers.
The day before the hunt, it is worth walking around the grounds and observing where the flock goes to land. When the geese fly away for the night in the evening, you can go to the place and arrange “hidden places” for yourself, set up profiles, in general, prepare for the hunt.
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Goslings begin to fly when they are 2-3 months old. They, together with their parents, will fly to warmer climes during the onset of winter, and then return home. At home they will find new groups of younger geese with whom they form flocks. Geese are one of the few birds whose family does not break up at the end of the breeding season.
Beneficial features
Regular consumption of goose reduces the risk of diseases of the cardiovascular system and promotes the removal of radionuclides and metabolic products from the body.
Thanks to the amino acids included in its composition, it has a strengthening effect and promotes the smooth functioning of the immune system. The development of cancer can also be prevented. Goose meat has a choleretic effect and relieves problems of the gastrointestinal tract. It has a positive effect on the nervous system, protects against irritability, helps to avoid panic attacks and the development of depression. The meat of this interesting bird is rich in phosphorus, which is a builder of skeletal bone tissue. Fatty acids in its composition reduce the development of blood clots, thereby preventing atherosclerosis. It is also suitable for baby food, especially useful for children with weakened bodies or children who have recently suffered from illness.
Goose fat is successfully used in folk medicine and cosmetology as a healing agent. And by-products, such as liver and heart, increase hemoglobin and normalize blood glucose levels.
There is such a thing as the French paradox, or syndrome. It is based on the fact that the French, when they consume high-calorie foods and fatty foods, have a much lower level of cancer and cardiovascular diseases than in the whole of Europe. So, during research conducted by scientists in this area, it turned out that in France they regularly eat such a valuable delicacy as foie gras - goose liver.
Use in cosmetology
At home, goose fat is good for cosmetic purposes, as a wound healing agent. They were often used to smear lips that were chapped in the cold to give them a beautiful and well-groomed look. Masks based on this product have protective and rejuvenating properties. It protects the skin from free radicals, softens and restores it. Goose meat is a healthy source of vitamins and minerals that promote beautiful and healthy skin. It is often used to restore damaged hair. It saturates them with vitamins, nourishes, smoothes and gives shine.
Diet meat
Goose meat, pre-cleaned from the skin, which contains the largest number of calories, is great for a dietary menu. It is recommended to consume this product baked or stewed, steamed or grilled. Goose by-products also have beneficial dietary properties and are recommended for inclusion in various diets.
However, it should be mentioned that it is better to use this meat as a dietary product after consulting with a nutritionist and drawing up a personal dietary menu.
