Swan & Goose

Mute Swan

Huge white bird with long neck, reddish-orange bill, and black face. Adults have a black knob on top of the bill. Immatures are dusky brown with a gray bill. Native to northern Europe and Asia, but introduced in many regions, where it is now common on ponds, lakes, and calm coastal waters. Very aggressive toward native waterfowl. Often seen in pairs or small family group.

Habitat: N and C Europe, Turkic States
Conservation status:  Least concern
Order waiting time: aprox. 1 years
Price:  see pricelist

Black Swan

Unmistakable large black swan with a red bill. When swimming this species is almost entirely black. Wings show extensive white flight feathers when flying. Juveniles are similar but dark-gray. In Australia, compare with Magpie Goose, which has white belly, and white underwing with black tips. Typically found along inland waterways, rivers, sewage ponds, and coastal lagoons and inlets. Sometimes flocks together in enormous numbers on large wetlands.

Habitat: Australia and Tasmania; introduced and well established in New Zealand.
Conservation status: Least Concern
Order waiting time: aprox. 1 years
Price: see pricelist

Blackneck Swan

Basically unmistakable and is just what the name says: a swan with a black neck. Fairly common but sometimes local on lakes, slow-moving rivers, wetlands with open water, estuaries, and inshore coastal waters. Often in groups, locally hundreds in winter, and associates readily with Coscoroba Swan. Cygnets are pure white and soon develop a dusky neck; within a month or two after hatching they look like adults.

Habitat: S South America from Tierra del Fuego and Falkland Is N to C Chile, Uruguay and extreme S Brazil
Conservation status: Least Concern
Order waiting time: aprox. 1 years
Price: see pricelist

Emperor Goose

Stocky goose that inhabits rocky coastlines, lagoons, and tidal flats. Striking white head, black throat, and petite pink bill. Blue-gray body with intricate black-and white bars, a white tail, and bright orange legs. Face sometimes stained orangish-brown. Juvenile has a gray head, but still shows white tail. Breeds on marshy tundra and winters in small flocks on coastal waters. Rarely seen outside Alaska.

Habitat: Alaska
Conservation status: Near Threatened
Order waiting time: aprox. 2 years
Price: only for members

Red Brested Goose

Small and stocky rare goose with a small bill. From a distance, appears dark and dull, and often blends into flocks of other geese. When seen well, note the rich rusty breast and striking rusty and black-and-white head pattern. Mantle is dark and finely barred. White flank stripe is prominent on land and in flight. Also note the all dark underwings in flight. Breeds on the high arctic tundra, on islands, and coastal habitats. Winters mainly by the Black Sea. 

Habitat: Europe and Türkiye
Conservation status: Vulnerable
Order waiting time: aprox. 2 years
Price: only for members

Barnacle Goose

Handsome and distinctive. A rather compact and fairly small goose with big white face patch, silvery upperparts, and black neck and breast sharply demarcated from white belly. In main wintering areas, occurs in hundreds or even thousands; elsewhere, singles and family groups can be found among flocks of other geese.

Habitat: Europe, Greenland, rarely in NE America and Canada lately
Conservation status: Least concern
Order waiting time: aprox. 1 years
Price: see pricelist

Andean Goose

This chunky white-and-black goose is often common and conspicuous on Andean bogs and lakeshores; usually in pairs or small groups and can be confiding in areas where not hunted. Note the small pink bill and pink legs; sexes alike but the male is larger. Like the other species in this genus, males give high wheezy whistles whereas females grunt and bray.

Habitat: the Andes of central Peru and Bolivia, Chile. In Argentina, found in northwestern.
Conservation status: Least concern
Order waiting time: aprox. 2 years
Price: see pricelist

Bar headed Goose

Striking and distinctive goose. Bold black-and-white head and neck pattern unlike any other goose; also note orangey-yellow bill and legs. In flight appears mainly pale gray with broad black trailing edge to wings. Breeds around lakes and marshes on highland plateaus; winters in lowland wetlands and fields. Native to East and South Asia, but escapees from waterfowl collections are occasionally seen free-flying elsewhere in the world.

Habitat: High altitudes in C Asia, mainly Mongolia and China. Winters from Pakistan to Myanmar. 
Conservation status: Least concern
Order waiting time: aprox. 1 years
Price: see pricelist

Canada Goose

A large brown goose with a black neck and white chinstrap. Typically in flocks or family groups. Abundant and widespread throughout the U.S. and Canada; rare in Mexico. Introduced and widely established in Europe. Listen for loud honking calls, especially as flocks migrate overhead in the classic V formation.

Habitat: Northern America
Conservation status: Least concern
Order waiting time: aprox. 1 years
Price: see pricelist

Ross's Goose

Cute miniature version of Snow Goose with smaller body, shorter neck, and stubbier bill. Dark morph Ross's is extremely rare. Typically found in flocks, but individuals may be found with other geese species. Frequently in large mixed flocks with Snow Geese. Occurs in fields, marshes, and lakes during migration and winter; breeds on Arctic tundra.

Habitat: Costa Rica to northern Argentina and Uruguay, Central and South Africa
Conservation status: Least concern
Order waiting time: aprox. 1 years
Price: only for members

Upland Goose

Common and conspicuous in most of its range, becoming uncommon and local in northern areas. Pairs and flocks are common along roadsides in Patagonian steppe grasslands, wetlands, at lakes, and along coasts. The male is strikingly white necked; some males have clean white breast and belly, others have dark-barred body. The female is brownish overall and much less noticeable with a rusty brown to grayish brown head and neck (compare to the rare Ruddy-headed Goose). Both sexes have bold black-and-white wing pattern that is striking in flight.

60–72·5 cm; male 2650–3560 g, female 2470–3050 g

Continental birds not generally associated with water, frequenting dry pastures and arable land for most of year; on grassy islands or coastal meadows in Falkland Is , often far from water too. 

Habitat: C Chile and S Argentina S to Tierra del Fuego; winters N to Río Negro and S Buenos Aires, Argentina, Falkland islands
Conservation status: Least concern
Order waiting time: aprox. 1 years
Price: only for members

Snow Goose  

Medium-sized goose with two strikingly different color morphs. White morph generally more common. Adults have black wingtips, pink bill and legs, and often show yellowish staining on the head. Juveniles have dull brownish bill and legs and variable grayish smudging on body and wings. 

Compare with Ross's Goose, which is like a cuter miniature version of Snow Goose.  

Habitat: Northern America into Greenland
Conservation status: Least concern
Order waiting time: aprox. 2 years
Price: see pricelist

Egyptian Goose

This striking "goose" (in actuality more closely related to shelducks) is native to Africa, mainly the eastern and southern parts of the continent; it has also been introduced widely across Europe and parts of the U.S. Distinctive: note the staring pale eye surrounded by a dark patch, pink legs, and overall gray and buffy plumage. In flight, look for bright white forewings. Usually found in pairs or family groups. Feeds while swimming and by grazing on shore.

Habitat: Native to sub-Saharan Africa
Conservation status: Least Concern
Order waiting time: aprox. 2 years
Price: see pricelist

Brant Goose

Small, short-legged coastal goose; distinctive black head and neck with small white necklace. Some variation in belly and flank coloration across subspecies. "Black Brant," mainly of western North America and eastern Asia, is darkest, with contrasting white flanks. Breeds on tundra in the high Arctic; winters in saltmarshes, rocky coastlines, sheltered bays, and beaches. Typically uncommon to rare inland. Almost always seen in flocks, only rarely mixing with other geese species. 

Habitat:  From low Arctic (approx. 58°N) to extreme high Arctic
Conservation status: Least Concern
Order waiting time: aprox. 1 years
Price: see pricelist

Greater White fronted Goose

Medium-sized goose with extensive range across the Northern Hemisphere. On adults note bright orange legs, white face, and variable amount of black splotching on belly. Breeds in tundra and taiga habitats; winters in fields, agricultural areas, and wetlands. Usually found in flocks, sometimes mixed with other species of geese.

Habitat: Breeds from N Russia and Siberia from Kanin Peninsula to far eastern Siberia. Also breeds in western Greenland.
Conservation status: Least Concern
Order waiting time: aprox. 1 years
Price: see pricelist

Cape Barren Goose

Very large, heavy-set pale gray goose found across parts of coastal southern Australia. Note pale yellow and slightly drooping bill. Mostly seen as pairs or loose flocks scattered around coastal wetlands, salt marshes, and grassy pasture areas.

Habitat: Islands off S Australia
Conservation status: Least Concern
Order waiting time: aprox. 1 years
Price: only for members