Flocks of geese7/5/2023 ![]() ![]() Geese are monogamous, living in permanent pairs throughout the year however, unlike most other permanently monogamous animals, they are territorial only during the short nesting season. In addition, some goose-like birds are known from subfossil remains found on the Hawaiian Islands. ![]() ![]() ![]() The aptly named Anser atavus (meaning "progenitor goose") from some 12 million years ago had even more plesiomorphies in common with swans. Either these or, more probably, the goose-like coscoroba swan is the closest living relative of the true geese.įossils of true geese are hard to assign to genus all that can be said is that their fossil record, particularly in North America, is dense and comprehensively documents many different species of true geese that have been around since about 10 million years ago in the Miocene. Two genera of geese are only tentatively placed in the Anserinae they may belong to the shelducks or form a subfamily on their own: Cereopsis, the Cape Barren goose, and Cnemiornis, the prehistoric New Zealand goose. The two living genera of true geese are: Anser, grey geese and white geese, such as the greylag goose and snow goose, and Branta, black geese, such as the Canada goose. True geese and their relativesīarnacle geese ( Branta leucopsis) in Naantali, Finland This term also gave Lithuanian: žąsìs, Irish: gé (goose, from Old Irish géiss), Hindi: कलहंस, Latin: anser, Spanish and Portuguese: ganso, Ancient Greek: χήν ( khēn), Albanian: gatë ( swans), Finnish: hanhi, Avestan zāō, Polish: gęś, Romanian: gâscă / gânsac, Ukrainian: гуска / гусак ( huska / husak), Russian: гусыня / гусь ( gusyna / gus), Czech: husa, and Persian: غاز ( ghāz). In Germanic languages, the root gave Old English gōs with the plural gēs and gandra (becoming Modern English goose, geese, gander, respectively), West Frisian goes, gies and guoske, Dutch: gans, New High German Gans, Gänse, and Ganter, and Old Norse gās and gæslingr, whence English gosling. The word "goose" is a direct descendant of Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰh₂éns. The collective noun for a group of geese on the ground is a gaggle when in flight, they are called a skein, a team, or a wedge when flying close together, they are called a plump. Young birds before fledging are called goslings. The term "goose" may refer to either a male or female bird, but when paired with " gander", refers specifically to a female one (the latter referring to a male). More distantly related members of the family Anatidae are swans, most of which are larger than true geese, and ducks, which are smaller. Some other birds, mostly related to the shelducks, have "goose" as part of their names. This group comprises the genera Anser (the grey geese and white geese) and Branta (the black geese). The correct terms may seem archaic, but they are certainly descriptive.Ī few accepted bird and other animal group names:Ī charm of hummingbirds or goldfinches a staring of owls a covey of quail a chattering of starlings and a party or band of jays.A goose ( PL: geese) is a bird of any of several waterfowl species in the family Anatidae. I have found several lists that include group names for some types of birds, as well as for other animals. If the group is flying, it becomes a skein if the group is on water, it’s a gaggle. It’s not, “Look at the 119 geese!” But rather a simple: “Look at the flock!” In researching the correct group name for the Canada geese I see daily in the Twin Cities, I found that flock is correct, but only if the geese are standing around or grazing on grasses. Flock in most cases is fine, but it’s also fun to be more imaginative.Ĭollective nouns are words that identify a collection of individuals. When we happen to see bunches of birds of various species - especially now during migrations - we sometimes are uncertain about whether to call them flocks or bands or something else. We are seeing flotillas of American coots called rafts this time of year, and also kettles of hawks high overhead. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |