What is the difference between geese and swans: what is the difference and features of the two birds

In Russian folklore there is a fairy tale "Geese-swans", in which those and other birds seem to be identified, merge into a single entity. Here they act as carriers of anxiety and danger, not related to the physical image of the characters. But is there any physiological difference between geese and swans? And what associations do these birds evoke in the human mind?

Definition

It is quite scientific to describe geese and swans in one general sentence: waterfowl of the anseriformes order of the duck family. Latin names are different: Cygnus - swans, Anser - geese. It is worth taking a look at these members of the duck family individually.

Geese

Geese have adaptations for swimming: webbed feet, resembling flippers, and a sebaceous gland, with which they carefully lubricate their feathers from getting wet. Those who read the classics remember that in the old days there was no better lubricant for shoes than goose fat. Taking advantage of this advantage, birds live near water bodies: there the grass is juicier, and you can profit from high-calorie duckweed, and you can fish out something with a high protein content in a river, swamp or even the sea. Geese also eat insects. Yet plant foods form the basis of their diet.

Goose is a large bird, especially if you do not take into account the predatory representatives of this class. The weight of the ancestor of domestic geese, a gray representative of wild relatives, ranges from 3-4.4 kilograms. The body length is slightly less than 1 meter. The wingspan is 1.5-1.8 meters. The powerful plumage of these limbs allows birds to overcome enormous distances. A large down layer improves the aerodynamic performance of the feathered round body and perfectly retains heat.Geese fly to warm countries and back at high altitude, at night. There are cases of collisions of these birds with aircraft.

Swans

Swans are also supplied with a “beginner dive kit”. Although in holding their breath they can compete with an experienced scuba diver. Having plunged their head into the water, they dig a hole up to 1 meter in diameter, along the way eating all living things that come their way. These are not only crustaceans, larvae, fish, but also roots and young shoots of aquatic plants. Perhaps it is precisely such labor achievements that give the swan such a proud posture.

Possessing the skills that provide him with guaranteed success in subsistence, the feathered handsome man runs on the water surface all day long. Therefore, few people saw his goose-like clumsy gait on land.

The body weight of the mute swan, whose fabulous beauty distinguishes it even from its fellows, is 5.5-13 kilograms. Wingspan - up to 2.5 meters. Body length - up to 1.8 meters. Of the birds, only an owl can encroach on a swan. It is more commonly preyed upon by medium ground predators such as foxes.

How to tell a goose from a swan

Knowing how many similarities these birds have, it is still not difficult to determine who is who.

PostureSlender, gracefulChunky, squatBody sizeLarge1.5-2 times smallerWingspanUp to 2.5 metersSmaller Neck Color Sometimes blackGray and white like a swan In the water Wild One for life On the table of the nobility Mostly silent Sounding shrill, heard even during the flight

	Swan	Goose



Very long and thin	Much shorter and thicker
		Where he prefers to be
On the shore		Domestication
Homemade		Couple
Different every year		In human nutrition
For Christmas to the middle class		Voice

Human Perception

Swan for people is a symbol of beauty and fidelity. Everyone knows the Swan Princess from the fairy tale by A. S. Pushkin, from “Swan Lake” by P. I. Tchaikovsky. Majestic birds floating in city gardens always gather spectators. Craftsmen make festive tableware in the form of swans, reminiscent of royal feasts.

Wild goose is an attractive object of hunting. The domestic goose is feared in live form and approved in the form of a gastronomic product. These are the relatives.