BIRDS of THE WORLD - An Online Bird Book
WATERFOWL
Order Anseriformes Family Anatidae
WATERFOWL
Order Anseriformes Family Anatidae
The order Anseriformes contains about 150 living species of birds All species in the order are web-footed for efficient swimming and have a large wide bill with a specialized tongue that allows water to be sucked in the front of the bill. An array of plates traps food particles as the water is expelled out the sides of the bill. Not all species feed this way, some graze on plants and some also catch fish.
Anseriformes has 3 familes, but almost all of the species belong to Anatidae.
Family Anatidae: dabbling ducks, teals, diving ducks, sea duck, shelducks, geese.
Family Anatidae: stiff-tailed ducks, swans, whistling ducks,
Family Anhimidae: screamers
Family Anseranatidae: magpie goose
Other species resemble the waterfowl of Anseriformes.
Order Gaviiformes, Family Gaviidae: loons
Order Gruiformes, Family Rallidae: coots, moorhens, crakes, rails
Order Podicipediformes, Family Podicipedidae: grebes
Geese Anseriformes has 3 familes, but almost all of the species belong to Anatidae.
Family Anatidae: dabbling ducks, teals, diving ducks, sea duck, shelducks, geese.
Family Anatidae: stiff-tailed ducks, swans, whistling ducks,
Family Anhimidae: screamers
Family Anseranatidae: magpie goose
Other species resemble the waterfowl of Anseriformes.
Order Gaviiformes, Family Gaviidae: loons
Order Gruiformes, Family Rallidae: coots, moorhens, crakes, rails
Order Podicipediformes, Family Podicipedidae: grebes
The following genus comprise the true geese: Anser, Branta, and Chen. They are large, monogamous waterfowl. The Cape Barren Goose, Spur-winged Goose, and Magpie Goose are not true geese. Similary, many species termed goose actually belong to the shelduck subfamily. The closest relatives of the true geese are the swans of genus cygnus.
Genus Anser
The "grey" geese of genes Anser are closely related to the "black" geese in the genus Branta. Anser geese have pink or orange legs and feet; Branta geese have black or dark gray legs and feet.
Goose,_Bar-headed Anser indicus Found: North America (escaped captive), Asia
The Bar-headed Goose should not be confused with any other geese because of its distinctive head.
Image by: 1) Arne_List 2) Noel Reynolds 3, 4) Dick Daniels- Sylvan
Heights 5) Dick - San Diego Zoo 6) Diliff 7) Video by Avibirds. More vidoes
Goose,_Bean Anser fabalis Found: Europe, Asia
The Bean Goose is split by some into the Tiaga Bean Goose (Anser fabalis) and the Tunda Bean Goose (Anser serrirostris). It has brown wing coverts have white fringes; black bill with orange bank; orange legs, feet.
Similar to: Pink-footed Goose. Bean Goose has orange bill-band, leg, feet. Pink-footed Goose has pink bill-band, legs, feet.
Image by: 1) Bartosz_MORAG 2) Hiyashi Haka 3) Arne List 4) Jan Svetlik 5) Cano Vaan Similar to: Pink-footed Goose. Bean Goose has orange bill-band, leg, feet. Pink-footed Goose has pink bill-band, legs, feet.
Goose,_Chinese Anser cygnoides Found: Asia
The Chinese Goose was domesticated from the Swan Goose. The Chinese Goose has two varieties: one similar to the Graylag Goose, and one white.
Similar to: Greylag Goose, Swan Goose.
Image by: 1, 2 - 7) Dick Daniels - the Central Zoo in Nepal 8) Dick - Birds of Eden, South Africa 9) Dick - Ranomafana, Madagascar 10) Video by Avibirds. More vidoesSimilar to: Greylag Goose, Swan Goose.
The dark versions below might be swan geese.
Goose,_Greater White-fronted also White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons Found: North America, Europe, Asia
The Greater White-fronted Goose has white front of face, grayish-brown upperparts, gray breast, pink bill, orange legs and feet.
Similar to: Graylag Goose. Graylag Goose does not have white base to bill. Graylag Goose is largest Anser goose.
Similar to: Lesser White-fronted Goose. Lesser has a bright yellow eye-ring, are smaller in size than the Greater, and the white front extends to the crown of the head.
Similar to: Graylag Goose. Graylag Goose does not have white base to bill. Graylag Goose is largest Anser goose.
Similar to: Lesser White-fronted Goose. Lesser has a bright yellow eye-ring, are smaller in size than the Greater, and the white front extends to the crown of the head.
Image by: 1, 2, 5) Dick Daniels - Sylvan Heights 3, 4) Alan Vernon 6) LonelyShrimp 7) Video by Avibirds. More vidoes
1) This bird has a faint yellow eye-ring, not to be confused with the brighter eye-ring of a Lesser White-fronted Goose.
1, 2, 5, 6) Tule Goose (Anser a. Elgasi)
Goose,_Graylag Anser anser Found: North America (escaped captive), Europe, Asia
The Greylag Goose is grayish-brown. Its plumage is patterned by pale fringes of its feathers. The upperparts are darker than the underparts. It has white eye-ring,
Similar to: Chinese Goose. The Chinese Goose is a domesticated goose.
Similar to: Greater White-fronted Goose, Lesser White-fronted Goose. Graylag Goose is largest Anser goose. Graylag Goose does not have white base to bill.
Image by: 1) Alan D Wilson - Washington 2, 3) Dick Daniels - England 4, 5) Dick - Scotland 6) Dick - Virginia 7) Dani_Kauf 8) Colin_Frankland 9) Video by Avibirds. More vidoesSimilar to: Chinese Goose. The Chinese Goose is a domesticated goose.
Similar to: Greater White-fronted Goose, Lesser White-fronted Goose. Graylag Goose is largest Anser goose. Graylag Goose does not have white base to bill.
6) Greylag / Domestic Goose hybrid
Goose,_Lesser White-fronted Anser erythropus Found: Europe, Asia
The Lesser White-fronted Goose has white front of face, grayish-brown upperparts, yellow eye-ring, gray breast, pink bill, orange legs and feet. It is smaller than the Greater White-fronted Goose.
Similar to: Graylag Goose. Graylag Goose does not have white base to bill. Graylag Goose is largest Anser goose.
Similar to: Greater White-fronted Goose. Lesser has a bright yellow eye-ring, smaller in size than the Greater, and the white front extends to the crown of the head.
Image by: 1) distillated - England 2) BS Thurner Hof 3) Tilly Mint - Wales 4) LHG Creative Photography - England Similar to: Graylag Goose. Graylag Goose does not have white base to bill. Graylag Goose is largest Anser goose.
Similar to: Greater White-fronted Goose. Lesser has a bright yellow eye-ring, smaller in size than the Greater, and the white front extends to the crown of the head.
Goose,_Pink-footed Anser brachyrhynchus Found: Europe
The Pink-footed Goose has brown wing coverts have white fringes; black bill with pink bank; pink legs, feet.
Similar to: Bean Goose. Bean Goose has orange bill-band, leg, feet. Pink-footed Goose has pink bill-band, legs, feet.
Image by: 1) Scyrene Magnus_Lindberg 2) Magnus_Lindberg 3) Stefan Bemdisson 4) MPF - Northumberland, UKSimilar to: Bean Goose. Bean Goose has orange bill-band, leg, feet. Pink-footed Goose has pink bill-band, legs, feet.
Goose,_Swan Anser cygnoides Found: North America (introduced/domesticated), Asia
The Swan Goose has grayish-brown upperparts, pale buff underparts, maroon hind-neck and cap, white outline at base of black bill. This is a large and heavy goose.
Similar to: Chinese Goose. The Chinese Goose was domesticated from the Swan Goose. The Chinese Goose has two varieties: one similar to the Graylag Goose, and one white.
Image by: 1) Dick Daniels - Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo 2) Dick - Sylvan Heights Similar to: Chinese Goose. The Chinese Goose was domesticated from the Swan Goose. The Chinese Goose has two varieties: one similar to the Graylag Goose, and one white.
3) LonelyShrimp 4) Charlie Westerinen - River Kwai, Thailand
Genus Branta
The Branta geese can be distinguished from other geese by their legs and feet, which are black or very dark grey. Furthermore, they have black bills and large areas of black on the head and neck,
Brant also Brent also Brant Goose Branta bernicla Found: North America, Europe, Asia
The Brant has a black head and neck, white neck collar, gray-brown back and belly of varying darkness depending on the subspecies, white under-tail.
Image by: 1, 5) Alan D Wilson - British Columbia 2, 3) Dick Daniels - Sylvan Heights 
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4) Dick on the Cape May, New Jersey ferry 6) Elaine Wilson - British Columbia 7) Cristiano Crolle - Texel, Holland
Goose,_Barnacle Branta leucopsis Found: North America (rare), Europe
The Barnacle Goose has white forehead, cheeks, and throat; black top of head, neck, and breast; light gray belly, light-gray with dark bars back.
Similar to: Canada Goose. Canada Goose has black face; Barnacle Goose has white face.
Image by: 1) Sandy Cole - Birds of Eden, South Africa 2, 3)
Dick Daniels - Birds of
Eden 4)
Dick - Sylvan
Heights 5) Cristiano Crolle 6) Harold_Olsen_NTSUSimilar to: Canada Goose. Canada Goose has black face; Barnacle Goose has white face.
Goose,_Cackling Branta hutchinsii Found: North America
The Cackling Goose has white "chinstrap", black face, tan underparts, brown back.
Similar to: Canada Goose. Cackling Goose is usually smaller than Canada Goose. Bill of Cackling Goose is proportionally smaller than bill of Canada Goose. Canada Goose has whiter breast. Cackling Goose only breeds in northern Canad and Alaska.
Image by: 1, 2) Tim Bowman, USFWS
3) Alan Vernon - California 4) Glen Tepke - CaliforniaSimilar to: Canada Goose. Cackling Goose is usually smaller than Canada Goose. Bill of Cackling Goose is proportionally smaller than bill of Canada Goose. Canada Goose has whiter breast. Cackling Goose only breeds in northern Canad and Alaska.
4) Ridgeway's Cackling Goose 5) Len Blumin
5) Canada Goose with Cackling Geese
Goose,_Canada Branta canadensis Found: North America, Europe, Asia, New Zealand (introduced)
The Canada Goose has white "chinstrap", black face, tan underparts, brown back.
Similar to: Barnacle Goose. Canada Goose has black face; Barnacle Goose has white face.
Similar to: Cackling Goose. Cackling Goose is usually smaller than Canada Goose. Bill of Cackling Goose is proportionally smaller than bill of Canada Goose. Canada Goose has whiter breast. Cackling Goose only breeds in northern Canad and Alaska.
Similar to: Nene. Canada Goose has black neck; most of Nene's neck is light colored.
Image by: 1) Alan D Wilson - Burnaby, British Columbia 2) Dick Daniels - New Hampshire 3) Dick - England 4, 5) Dick - North Carolina 6) Dick - New York 7, 8) Dick - New Jersey 9) Dick - California 10) Dick - New YorkSimilar to: Barnacle Goose. Canada Goose has black face; Barnacle Goose has white face.
Similar to: Cackling Goose. Cackling Goose is usually smaller than Canada Goose. Bill of Cackling Goose is proportionally smaller than bill of Canada Goose. Canada Goose has whiter breast. Cackling Goose only breeds in northern Canad and Alaska.
Similar to: Nene. Canada Goose has black neck; most of Nene's neck is light colored.
Nene also Hawaiian Goose Branta sandvicensis Found: Hawaii
The Nene Adult has black head, nape, bill, legs, and feet; buff cheeks; light neck with black diagonal stripes.
Similar to: Canada Goose. Canada Goose has black neck; most of Nene's neck is light colored.
Image by: 1, 2,4, 5, 6) Dick Daniels - Kauai, Hawaii 3) Dick Daniels - Sylvan HeightsSimilar to: Canada Goose. Canada Goose has black neck; most of Nene's neck is light colored.
3) The Nene has a partially webbed foot.
Goose,_Red-breasted Branta ruficollis Found: Europe, Asia
Distinctive - nothing else like it!
Image by: 1, 3, 4) Dick Daniels - Sylvan Heights 2) Sandy Cole - Sylvan Heights 5) Video by Avibirds. More vidoes_RWD2.jpg){kind=link}
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Genus Cereopsis - 1 species
Goose,_Cape Barren Cereopsis novaehollandiae Found: Australia
The Cape Barren Goose is gray with pink legs.
It may belong to the "true goose" and swan subfamily Anserinae or to the shelduck subfamily Tadorninae.
Image by: 1, 2) Dick Daniels - Sylvan Heights 3, 5)
Dick - Australia
4) Dick - Australia 6) Video by Avibirds. More vidoes
Genus Chen
The "white geese" are a small group of waterfowl which are united in the genus or subgenus Chen. They breed on subarctic areas of North America and around the Bering Strait, migrating south in winter. Many authorities place these species in the grey goose genus Anser.
Goose,_Emperor Chen canagica Found: west North America (Alaska to northern California), Asia (northeast Siberia)
Distinctive due to black fore-neck and white hind-neck.
Image by: 1) USFWS 2) Tim Bowman USFWS 3, 5, 6) Dick Daniels - Sylvan Heights 4) Sandy Cole - Sylvan Heights 
1) Head stained oranged from iron-rich water.
Goose,_Ross's Chen rossii Found: North America
The Ross's Goose is white except for black wing tips, small pink bill. There is a rare dark morph.
Similar to: Snow Goose. Ross's Geese and Snow Geese look very similar and can comingle. To tell them apart, compare the bills. The base of the Ross's bill is much straighter than the Snow's.
Image by: 1, 2) Mike Baird 3, 4)
Dick Daniels - Sylvan Heights 5) Bill Bouton - California 6) Len Blumin - CaliforniaSimilar to: Snow Goose. Ross's Geese and Snow Geese look very similar and can comingle. To tell them apart, compare the bills. The base of the Ross's bill is much straighter than the Snow's.
6) Dark morph
Goose,_Snow Chen caerulescens Found: North America
The Snow Goose is white except for black wing tips, small pink bill. There is a relatively common dark morph.
Similar to: Ross's Goose. Ross's Geese and Snow Geese look very similar and can comingle. To tell them apart, compare the bills. The base of the Ross's bill is much straighter than the Snow's.
Image by: 1) Alan D Wilson - Ladner, British Columbia 2, 3, 7) Dick Daniels - North Carolina 4) hjhipster - New JerseySimilar to: Ross's Goose. Ross's Geese and Snow Geese look very similar and can comingle. To tell them apart, compare the bills. The base of the Ross's bill is much straighter than the Snow's.
5) Dick - Sylvan Heights 6) Dick - Luray Caverns, Virginia 8) Alan D Wilson - New Mexico
1) Lesser Snow Goose (Chen caerulescens caerulescen )
Genus Nettapus
The Pygmy geese are a group of very small "perching ducks" in the genus Nettapus which breed in the Old World tropics. They are the smallest of all waterfowl. There nearest relatives are unclear.
Goose,_African Pygmy Nettapus auritus Found: Africa
The African Pygmy Goose has a green cap and green back, white face. Male has green ear patch; female has green spots on face.
Image by: 1) Dick Daniels - San Diego Zoo 2, 3) Dick Daniels -
the North Carolina Zoo 4) Dick - Sylvan Heights
1) Pair (female on left) 2) Female 3, 4) Male
Goose,_Cotton Pygmy Nettapus coromandelianus Found: Asia, Australia
The breeding male Cotton Pygmy Goose has dark green crown; white head, neck, underparts;black colar; white wingbar; short legs. Female paler with little or no white wingbar and no black collar. Nonbreeding male similar to female, but retains its white wingbar.
Image by: 1) JJ Harrison - Thailand 2) Magalhaes 3, 6) JM Garg 4, 5) Dick Daniels - Sylvan Heights 7) Mprasannak 
-_Female_in_Kolkata_I_IMG_2464.jpg){kind=link}
1 - 3) Female 4 - 7) Male
Goose,_Green Pygmy Nettapus pulchellus Found: Australia
The breeding male Green Pygmy Goose has dark green crown, neck, back; white cheeks; green and white scalloped flanks and upper-breast; white underparts. Nonbreeding male is duller. Female resembles nonbreeding male except has green and white barred neck.
Image by: 1) Kazredracer 2, 3) Dick Daniels - Sylvan Heights 4) Sandy Cole - Sylvan Heights 5) Summerdrought
1) Female 2 - 5) Male
Genus Plectropterus - 1 species
Goose,_Spur-winged Plectropterus gambensis Found: Africa
The Northern Spur-winged Goose (P. g. gambensis) has black upperparts, crown, and nape; white face and underparts.
The Black Spur-winged Goose (P. g. niger) is mainly black with just a small white belly patch.
The Spur-winged Goose is related to the geese and the shelducks, but distinct from both of these in a number of anatomical features, and therefore placed in its own subfamily, the Plectropterinae.
Image by: 1, 2, 3, 7, 8) Dick Daniels - Sylvan Heights 4) Charlie Wseterinrn - Botswana 5, 6) Dick - near De Hoop Nature Reserve, South Africa 5) Dick - near De HoopThe Black Spur-winged Goose (P. g. niger) is mainly black with just a small white belly patch.
The Spur-winged Goose is related to the geese and the shelducks, but distinct from both of these in a number of anatomical features, and therefore placed in its own subfamily, the Plectropterinae.
1, 2, 3, 4) Northern Spur-winged Goose (P. g. gambensis) 5 -8) Black Spur-winged Goose (P. g. niger)
Genus Sarkidiornis - 1 species
Duck, Knob-billed also Comb Duck Sarkidiornis melanotos Found: Asia, Africa, South America
The Knob-billed Duck has white head speckled with dark spots, white underparts, glossy blue-black upperparts. The male has a black knob on the bill. In South America ( S. m. sylvicola) the male has dark flanks, the female has medium colored flanks. In the Old Workd (S.
m. melanotos) the flanks are light colored.
DNA analysis of the Knob-billed duck species suggests that it is a basal member of the Anatidae family. That is, the Knob-billed Duck does not have any close relatives.
Image by: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6) Dick - Sylvan Heights 3) Sandy Cole - Sylvan Heights 7, 8) Lip Kee - India 9) Arno Meintjes 10) Ian White - Zambia DNA analysis of the Knob-billed duck species suggests that it is a basal member of the Anatidae family. That is, the Knob-billed Duck does not have any close relatives.
1 - 6) Sarkidiornis m. sylvicola 1, 2) Male 3 - 6) Female
7 - 10) Sarkidiornis m. melanotos 7, 8) Male 9, 10) Female
SCREAMERs
Family Anhimidae
The screamers are a small family of birds related to ducks (family Anatidae), but more closely to the Magpie Goose which is the only species in family Anseranatidae. The three Anhimidae species occur only in South America, ranging from Venezuela to northern Argentina. The are so named for their loud calls. They are large, bulky birds, with a small downy head, long legs and large feet which are not webbed. They have large spurs on their wings which are used in fights over mates and territorial disputes[1]; these can break off in the breast of other screamers, and are regularly renewed. Unlike ducks they have a partial moult, and are able to fly throughout the year. They live in open areas and marshes with some grass and feed on water plants.
Genus Anhima - 1 species
Screamer, Horned Anhima cornuta Found: South America
The Horned Screamer has dark gray upperparts, mottled gray and white neck, some mottling on otherwise dark gray head, white belly. There is a thin horn-like projection on the head.
Image by: 1) Diego Miguel_Garces 2) Christoph2007 3) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Bradley_Hacke in Peru 4) Cláudio Timm - the Amazon, Brazil
Genus Chauna
Screamer, Northern also Crested Screamer Chauna chavaria Found: South America
The Northern Screamer has dark gray body, black neck, diagonal white band from back of head to chin, gray crown and forehead.
Image by: 1) Petruss - Columbia 2) Nick Athanas - Columbia 3) anthrotect
Screamer, Southernalso Crested Screamer Chauna torquata Found: South America
The Southern Screamer has gray upperparts, head; black neck collar with white above; gray head; light gray underparts.
Image by: 1, 2, 4) Dick Daniels - Jacksonville Zoo 3, 5) Cláudio Timm - - Tacuarembó,
Uruguay 6, 7) Dick Daniels - San Diego Zoo 8) Cristiano Crolle - Esteros del Iberà, Argentina 4) Cristiano Crolle - Esteros del Iberà, Argentina
Family Anseranatidae
This family has only one Genus and that Genus has only one species - the Magpie Goose! This goose diverged from the other waterfowl tens of millions of years ago,
Genus Anseranas - 1 species
Goose,_Magpie Anseranas semipalmata Found: Australia
The Magpie Goose has black head and neck, black and white body, orange-yellow legs.
Image by: 1, 3, 5, 6, 7) Dick Daniels - Australia 2, 8)
Dick - Sylvan Heights 4) Geoff_Whalan - North West Territory
