Is Goose a Duck?

Is goose a duck? and What is the difference between geese and geese? These are among the most frequently asked questions by people who are new to birds and want to know more about them. It can be confusing because geese look like ducks and are often referred to as such in everyday language; however, they aren’t really at all related to ducks. They belong to their own family, Anatidae, which also includes swans, owls, loons, and other waterfowl, while ducks belong to their own separate family of Anatidae.

Geese are birds, ducks are waterfowl

All of which is to say that geese are not ducks. Geese are in fact members of an avian family known as dabbling ducks, meaning they eat on land and in water but can’t dive underwater for food (more about that here). This means, if we want to get super technical, a goose isn’t a duck—ducks, by their very nature, can’t be geese. But what about goslings?

Geese don't quack as ducks do

Geese are not ducks. They aren't even close cousins. Geese belong to a family of birds called Anatidae, while ducks belong to an entirely different family of birds called Anseriformes. While they may both swim and have webbed feet, that's where their similarities end! Both geese and ducks make noises, but goose vocalizations (called honking) are unique from duck quacks. Goose facts you may find interesting: Geese don't look like ducks at all.

Male geese have blue feet (in some species)

Male birds usually have more colorful or visual feet than females, but female geese and ducks often have softer feet than males. The male mute swan, for example, has bright orange feet and a golden yellow beak, while females have grey-green legs and a light brown beak.

Geese are large birds 

The word goose derives from an Old English word that means wild goose. The term typically refers to three large species of waterfowl (Canada geese, brant, and snow geese) as well as many other types of birds such as ganders and goslings, which are all smaller than wild geese. Other species that we refer to as geese include barnacle geese, Egyptian geese, and whooper swans.

Female Geese are called Gander

Calling a female goose Goose is kind of like calling a girl Jenny—there’s nothing wrong with it, but there’s just something odd about it. To avoid confusion and sound like you know what you’re talking about, use gander. A group of geese is known as a gaggle, herd, or flock.

A group of geese can be collectively known as a gaggle

A group of ganders can be collectively known as a grange. A group of geese is collectively called a flock. A flock of geese is more often referred to as a skein, but not always! A group of geese on land (whether it’s foraging or simply standing around) is called a paddling, though if they’re swimming in water it would be an education. Geese live in pairs — they live together all their lives and usually live close to one another.

Mother Goose rhymes with gander, not a goose. The correct spelling is a goose.

A goose is a bird of the family Anatidae. Geese are mostly herbivorous and eat both plants and small animals such as aquatic insects, worms, or snails. Unlike ducks, geese often live in large communities. For example, migratory populations of Canada geese may contain over 2,000 birds.

Other collective nouns for groups of goose include flock and paddling.

A flock of geese is called a gaggle, and it's made up of dozens or even hundreds of birds. A paddling refers to just two or three geese, who are generally floating on water.: As far as goose facts go, there are many surprising elements about these large waterfowl that might make you feel differently about them. If you think goose is just another word for duck, you're in for some surprises.