Animal profile

Domestic Goose

Anser anser domesticus

AvesFarmyards, pasture and pond margins

Field profile

European domestic geese descend from the greylag goose; Chinese breeds descend from the swan goose. Geese are grazers, unusual among poultry in obtaining much of their nutrition from grass. They are long-lived, strongly territorial and noisy at intrusion, which is why they have been kept as watch animals since antiquity.

Published field notes

2026-08-12

Domestic Goose

Geese have been used as sentries for millennia

Roman tradition credits the sacred geese of the Capitol with raising the alarm during a night attack. The practice is not merely ancient: geese have served as working sentries at military installations and distilleries into the modern era.

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