Goose

Genus Cereopsis
* Cape Barren Goose, Cereopsis novaehollandiae

Genus Cnemiornis, New Zealand Geese
* South Island Goose, Cnemiornis calcitrans
* North Island Goose, Cnemiornis gracilis

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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:
* Blue-winged Goose, Cyanochen cyanopterus
* Andean Goose, Chloephaga melanoptera
* Magellan 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 Spur-winged Goose, Plectropterus gambensis, is most closely related to the shelducks, but distinct enough to warrant its own subfamily, the Plectropterinae.

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 khén etc.

In the Germanic languages, the root word led to Old English gos with the plural gés, German Gans and Old Norse gas. Other modern derivatives are Russian gus and Old Irish géiss; the family name of the cleric Jan Hus is derived from the Czech derivative husa.

In non-technical use, the male goose is called a "gander" (Anglo-Saxon gandra) and the female is the "goose" (Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913))

See also

*wildfowl
*waterfowl
*Domesticated goose, which includes cooking and folklore

External links

*Goose videos on the Internet Bird Collection