Chinese Geese still hanging out

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The Swan Geese (Anser cygnoides) -- also known as Chinese Geese - are rare, migratory geese that breed in inland Mongolia, northernmost China, and southeastern Russia; and most migrate to central and eastern China for the winter.

Vagrants travel to Japan and Korea for the winter and, on rare occasions, may winter in Kazakhstan, Laos, coastal Siberia, Taiwan, Thailand and Uzbekistan.

The Chinese goose is easily identifiable by the big lump in the forehead where it joins the beak. These geese are now widely raised in the West as well as in China.


Outside the breeding season, they form small flocks. They rarely swim and often forage far from the water.

The large Wild Swan Geese have also been introduced to countries outside their natural range, where feral populations of escaped or released domesticated birds have established themselves. We are lucky to have them.