Greylag goose
The greylag goose (Anser anser) is a large gray goose native to Europe and Asia. It is the wild ancestor of most domestic geese.
Anser: Anser is a genus of large gray and white geese in the family Anatidae. The greylag goose is one of the genus’s defining species.
Bird migration: Bird migration is the regular seasonal movement of birds between breeding and nonbreeding areas. Many greylag populations move seasonally, though some remain resident.
Domestication of animals: Animal domestication is the multigenerational process by which populations adapt to human control and breeding. Domestic geese descend largely from greylags shaped by this process.
Goose meat: Goose meat is the meat of domestic or wild geese, eaten in cuisines around the world. Greylag ancestry underlies many domestic geese raised for meat.
Icelandic greylag goose: The Icelandic greylag goose is a migratory population that breeds in Iceland and winters chiefly in Britain and Ireland. Its long-distance migration illustrates the species’ northern breeding strategy.
Anatidae: Anatidae is the waterbird family that includes ducks, geese, and swans. This family places the greylag among its close waterfowl relatives.
Bird flocking: Bird flocking is the coordinated movement or grouping of birds, often improving vigilance and foraging. Greylags forage and travel in flocks whose size changes with season and location.
Domestic goose: A domestic goose is a goose bred and kept by people, chiefly for meat, eggs, feathers, or as a domestic animal. Most domestic goose breeds derive from the greylag goose.
Goose egg: A goose egg is the large, hard-shelled egg laid by a female goose. Domestic geese descended from greylags are kept for egg production.
Pink-footed goose: The pink-footed goose is a medium-sized migratory goose breeding in the Arctic and wintering in northwestern Europe. It shares parts of the greylag’s winter range but is a separate species with distinct migration patterns.