Goose Facts

About the goose

Geese share their family, Anatidae, with swans and ducks. Most swans are bigger than true geese, and ducks are smaller. A few birds in the Tadorninae subfamily, such as the Egyptian goose and the Orinoco goose, carry the name too, but scientists do not count them as true geese. The word goose can mean a bird of either sex, but next to gander it means a female, and gander means a male.

Geese also come with a fun pile of group names. On the ground, a bunch of geese is a gaggle. In the air, the group can be called a wedge, a team or a skein, and when the birds fly close together, the word is a plump. Young geese that have not yet fledged are called goslings.

Did you know?

• When there is more than one goose, the plural form is geese.
• A male goose has its own name: people call him a gander.
• Geese flying close together in a tight group are called a plump.