Have you ever had ‘goosebumps’ and wondered where the term came from? Do you still remember the teary-eyed birdie in the popular fable “The Ugly Duckling?” Well, fasten your seatbelts because we are going to make a swan dive into the world of two beautiful waterfowls– Swan vs Goose, and make some amazing discoveries about their lives.
Both the birds are mostly black and white in appearance, and they remind us of ducks. Well, they should, because swans and geese are both close cousins of ducks. They both like to eat similar kinds of food and inhabit similar locations in nature. So how to tell the two birds apart? Let’s end this wild goose chase once and for all, and keep reading to solve the dilemma.
Contents
A Little About Swan And Goose
The magnificent swans belong to the family of Anatidae, and genus Cygnus. The word ‘swan’ comes from the word ‘swen’ having an Indo-European origin that translates to ‘sing’. They are one of the largest flying bird species in the world, with an evergreen snow-white plumage and a yellow beak that touches hearts. However, they may not always have a white plumage.
Geese are the close relatives of the swans, belonging to the same family but a different genera. Geese are divided into two genera– “Anser” and “Branta”. Ansers are the gray and white geese, and Brantas are the black geese. When a cackle of geese passes by, you will hear honking noises. Geese are usually white and gray, but may have brown and black plumage too.
Likenesses Between Goose And Swan
As both the birds belong to the same family, it is only expected to find close similarities between them. Certain goose species like the Snow goose, Ross’s goose and African goose bear the same milky-white plumage of the swans, and even have a similar looking long and slender neck. Both the birds are omnivores, have webbed feet and live in similar kinds of habitats.
12 Reliable Differences Between Swan and Goose
In a flock, swans and geese might be difficult to distinguish. However, when you observe their necks, plumage and overall body size, you will clearly see the difference.
Source: @the_swan_diaries
Neck
One unmistakable feature in swans is their long, S-shaped neck. This is the number one distinguishing element between swans and geese. Some species of swans like trumpeter swans and black swans have a neck that is as long as the length of their body! Swans are adored for their graceful appearance, and their beautiful, slender neck only adds to their grace.
On the contrary, 90% of goose species have a neck that is much shorter and straighter than those of swans. It is an unmistakable difference, and you will not have to look twice to realize the distinction. However, geese like Chinese geese, African geese and American buff geese have longer necks, but nearly not as long as the necks of swans.
Size
Some species of swans like Whooper swans or Trumpeter swans could be 59 inches (5 feet) long, weighing around 15 kg that is as heavy as a medium-sized microwave! Not only that, they have a wingspan of about 10 feet, which is massive. Size is one of the most dependable ways you can tell a swan apart from a goose— swans are doubtlessly much larger and heavier.
Geese, on the other hand, are 30 to 43 inches (2.5-4 feet) long, and weigh around 10 kg. If you compare the wingspan of the two birds, the geese’s wingspread is only about half the length of that of swans.
Therefore, it is clear that swans are much larger than geese,however, let’s not accept that as a universal truth. Certain species of geese like Canada geese, Berwick and Tundra geese are as big as swans or larger than them. Canada geese could be 4 feet long, and Tundra geese could be 4.5 feet long, almost equal to the body length of most swans.
Source: @losservatore2020
Plumage
Swans are mostly black and white in appearance. This general plumage color paired up with their graceful poise is a strong indication that the bird you are looking at is swan. However, northern species have only white plumage, and the Australian black swan is fully black with just a little white on the tip of their wings.
Other exceptions include the South American black necked swan that has a black neck and a white body. One thing to note is that swans have never been spotted to have a black wing-tip.
Geese, on the other hand, seem to have been endowed with more colors of the rainbow. Apart from having white and black in their plumage in the form of markings, they also appear in gray, brown, silver and blue. Snow geese, though fully white, have black tips on their wings.
Beak
Swan: Swans flaunt different colored beaks. Four of the subarctic species have fully black bills with yellow speckled or splotched on them. All other swan species have red and black patterns all over their beaks. Other colors include the plain-old orange and salmon pink. Trumpeter swan bills are black with salmon-pink tinge around the mouth, whereas Mute swans have orange bills.
Source: @birdsblooms
Bills of swans are not only pretty, they are functional too. Like most waterfowls, swans have serrations called tomia lining the inner edges of their beaks. They are made of cartilage and are used to cut though strong vegetation and hold on to slippery invertebrates.
The bills of swans are long, pointed and curved. They are almost 5 inches long and are considered the largest among waterfowls. They use their bills to cut grass blades or other vegetation and to dabble about in the mud while foraging for food.
Goose: Geese bills are much shorter and less colorful. They are usually black, but quite sharp and pointed. They have shorter bills because they mostly depend on grains and grass, whereas swans go for larger pieces of aquatic vegetation that need to be torn or plucked from the roots.
Source: @shannonbirder
Geese bills also allow the fowls to create a larger gape in their mouth to swallow larger food morsels whole. Like other waterfowls, geese have serrated edges on their beaks too.
Exceptions include the Snow goose and Ross’s goose. Snow geese have large and vibrant pinkish-orange bills, while Ross’s goose has a large, pink bill also.
Nest and Eggs
Swan: Swans breed and nest between April and June. Their nests are always built near a water source, so you will usually spot swan nests on mounds of aquatic vegetation, reed beds or small water islands. The nests could be as large as 3 inches across and are constructed, by both the parents, with branches, twigs, grass, and other forms of vegetation.
Source: @marytheona
Swan mothers can lay 4 to 7 eggs per clutch on average, whereas certain species can lay up to 12 eggs! Eggs are 4.5 inch x 3 inch in size, and weigh about 340 gm. The eggs have a stony, white texture with a light blue tinge.
Unlike geese, both the parents in a swan family look after their chicks all throughout the bringing-up process. Males even help in incubating the eggs that take about 30 to 45 days. Swans are monogamous and stay with one partner forever.
Goose: Geese nest and breed between March and May, and unlike swan families, geese prefer to build their nests on open grasslands. You can even find goose nests on golf courses and manicured lawns. The reason why they choose open spaces is to have a clear sightline to spot predators. Only females build the nests, whereas in swan families, males help too.
Source: @parryg
Geese lay 2 to 5 eggs per clutch, with 7 inches of circumference, weighing between 120 and 175 gm. In short, goose eggs are generally smaller and lighter than swan eggs. Incubation period of eggs is also shorter by 10 to 20 days as compared to that of swans.
Geese are not monogamous like swans. Also, the bringing-up method of the goslings is quite different. Geese are extremely social birds, even during the breeding times. Large groups of different families, known as creche, bring up all their goslings together. This is done to ensure greater survival chances of the young ones.
Crest / Knob
Like most waterfowls, swans have patches of skin on different locations of their head, usually where the bill and the eyes meet. These skin patches could be bare or covered in feathers, depending on the species.
These patches are round and quite large in certain species and are termed as ‘knobs’. Black-necked swans and Mute swans bear a fleshy lump at the base of their upper mandible.
Geese, too, have knobs on certain areas around their head, which could be bare or feathered.
In fact, the Tufted-feathered geese have knobs that are covered by very long feathers, causing the knob to be called a ‘crest’. This crest could have varying colors of red, black or white.
Chinese geese have knobs just like swans do, and some white geese have extra patches of skin on their lower mandibles, making them resemble a cockerel’s head very closely.
Feet
Swans, doubtlessly, have larger feet to bear the burden of their larger and heavier bodies. Their feet are usually black, white or gray. However, the South American black-necked swan has pink legs.
Geese feet are smaller, but the length of their legs are longer than that of the swans. The color of the legs are similar to that of swans, ie, black, white or gray.
Needless to say, both the waterfowls have webbed feet that enable them to wade and swim.
Tail
Swans have longer tails than geese, and the ends of the tails are tapered. Mute swans have pointed tails that are slightly larger than the tails of any other swan. The tails are completely white. Swans use their tails for walking, swimming and flying. Additionally, they use the tails to balance their body when they are perched, and to splash water over their body while swimming.
Geese tails are shorter and thicker than the tails of swans, with rounded tips. Also, there may be black markings on goose tails, but not on swan tails. Geese use their tails for steering themselves while paddling on water, balancing in the water while foraging for ground roots, and for applying brakes while landing after flight.
Habitat
Swans, though might be hard to believe, spend less time on land than in water. They love to paddle and dive in the water, but walking and stomping about, with their large bodies and thin legs, on grass-covered grounds might not be their favorite pastime. They are usually found on ponds, undisturbed lakes, slow-paced rivers, wetlands, and marshes.
Swans mostly like to live in the northern hemisphere, and except Antarctica, can be found everywhere else.
Unlike swans, geese spend half of their waking hours on land, and the other half on water. This is because they are more dependent on the food supplies that are found on land, like grass and grains. On the other hand, swans mostly rely on plucking out large vegetation masses rooted deep beneath a water body, so they are mostly found in water.
Geese can be found in both the hemispheres and in different types of climate, including Antarctica. They are often spotted in farms and public parks. On the contrary, spotting swans in farms is a rare sight. Prairies and tundra forests too are frequently inhabited by geese.
Social Behavior
Swans like to socialize with their close family members which includes their partners and their young ones only. Even mated pairs prefer to separate for a while to enjoy isolated moments. Only in the winter season, different swan families flock for foraging and migration.
Swans are popular as monogamous creatures, however, if mating pairs fail to produce offspring or if one partner dies, in that case, another partner is sought.
Another noticeable behavioral trait in swans is their generally aggressive nature, which gets to a tipping point during the time when they are bringing up their chicks. Mute swans are one of the most aggressive waterfowls ever known, and they will attack other birds, even humans, if considered a threat. They chase and bite humans, the reason why they are not popular as pets.
Source: @zag_gbd
Geese, comparably, are more friendly and sociable. Geese are often found in close association with other waterfowls, even swans. They flock mainly to reduce threats and enhance the possibility of survival.
Geese are not aggressive even during the breeding season as we have learnt earlier about group upbringing of goslings. Geese are more popular as pets and can be found in farms.
Diet
Both are omnivore birds with slight nuances in their food preferences. Swans mostly go for large aquatic plants, like water lilies or lotus plants, that are rooted or stemmed deep beneath the layers of water bodies.
They also prefer to munch on algae, mollusks, and roots, tubers, and leaves of submerged plants. Occasionally, they may opt for small fish, frogs, worms, and shellfish. However, animal proteins are largely reserved for goslings, and not for adults.
Geese, on the contrary, spend more time on land and depend more on grass and grains that grow on land. They munch on aquatic vegetation too, but smaller plants are more preferable. Berries and insects are their chosen edibles too.
Vocalization
Swans are musical and can produce a large variety of sounds. Trumpeter swan’s voice is like a trumpet and this is how it received its name. Ross’s geese are very vocal. Mute swans are just less vocal the reason why they are named so, but they are not literally mute. Geese cluck about mostly, while goslings give out high pitched whistles.
Interesting Snippets On Goose And Swan!
Swans and geese have been with us for ages, not only in materialism, but also in myths, legends, fables and fairy tales. Let’s know more about these interesting avians.
Swan
- Remember the sad, little birdie in the famous ‘Ugly Duckling’ fable, who thought he was hideous because he did not fit in? Well, that little bird was actually a cygnet that grew up to be a graceful Swan. Swans, till today, are considered a symbol of grace and beauty.
- Swans practice life-long monogamy and thus are symbols of loyalty.
- Swans migrate in a V-formation. They literally fly in a V-shape in the sky.
- Little cygnets sometimes ride on their parents’ backs.
Geese
- Geese migrate long distances, sometimes as long as 10000 miles per year.
- The term ‘goosebumps’ came from geese. Underneath the soft down feathers of these birds, the skin is rough and pimply, resembling raised human hair follicles.
- Geese spend most of their time in colder climates.
- Geese use body language like head and wing movements to convey messages.
Summary
Now it is time to summarize some of the most telling differences that will help you set the two birds apart in a jiffy.
| Features | Swan | Goose |
| Neck | S-shaped, longer | Shorter and straighter |
| Size | 5 ft, 15 kg | 4 ft, 10 kg |
| Plumage | Black and white | Gray, brown, silver, blue, black, white |
| Beak | Larger, stronger, red, black, pink, orange | Black, gray |
| Nest and Eggs | 4 to 7 eggs per clutch, eggs are 4.5 inch x 3 inch in size, and weigh about 340 gm | 2 to 5 eggs per clutch, 7 inches of circumference, weigh between 120 and 175 gm |
FAQ
Q: How fast do swan and goose fly?
Ans: Swans can run at a speed of 22 miles per hour, and fly at a speed of 18-30 miles per hour. Geese, however, have a faster flight speed of 40 miles/hr.
Q: How long do swans and geese live?
Ans: Swans live for 20 to 30 years, whereas geese can live for 15-20 years.
Q: Which animals prey on swan and goose?
Ans: Herons, crows, large perch fish, and turtles can feed on cygnets. Coyotes and wolves may prey on adult swans. Skunks, raccoons, snakes, crows, and foxes may attack adult geese. Bobcats and turtles may eat goslings.
Thoughts
Swans and geese are both waterfowls belonging to the same family of birds of the name Anatidae. As such, they share some common characteristics, like similar bill shape, long necks, webbed feet, flocking tendency while migrating, and knobs on their heads. But when you closely compare swan vs goose, are they really the same?
Well, of course not. Upon closer observation, we notice the elegant S-shape of the swan’s neck, and the beautiful multi-colored plumage of geese. We smile at the ridiculously aggressive nature of swans, and marvel at the fantastic flying speeds of the geese. The miracles in nature never cease to mesmerize us– the more we pay attention, the newer the discoveries we encounter.
