Swan Goose

Anser cygnoides

An endangered long-necked goose of eastern Asia that migrates thousands of kilometers and is the ancestor of the Chinese domestic goose.

🦆 Waterfowl

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About the Swan Goose

Swan geese spend summers breeding where Russia, Mongolia and China meet, then fly 2,500 to 3,000 km south to spend the winter along the Yangtze River in China. They eat grasses, roots, seeds and water plants. Swan geese are very talkative, with deep honking calls. A pair lays 5 or 6 eggs, which hatch in 28 to 34 days.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Anser cygnoides^[1]
Size: 81 to 94 cm (32 to 37 inches) long, with a wingspan of 160 to 185 cm.^[1]
Weight: About 3.15 kg (7 pounds) on average.^[1]
Lifespan: Domestic birds average about 20 years.^[1]
Diet: Herbivore. Grasses, roots, seeds and water plants.^[1]
Where it lives: Eastern Asia. Breeds near the Russia-Mongolia-China border and winters along China's Yangtze River.^[1]
Group life: Very social. Pairs form during the breeding season.^[1]
Babies: 5 or 6 eggs, incubated for 28 to 34 days. Young can fly at about 8 weeks.^[1]
Conservation status: Endangered (IUCN Red List, assessed 2023).^[2]

Fun facts

People have kept swan geese as farm birds for more than 3,000 years.^[1]
Each migration covers about 2,500 to 3,000 km (1,550 to 1,850 miles).^[1]
Swan geese have a black fleshy knob at the base of their bills.^[1]

Vocabulary

migrate: To travel from one region to another as the seasons change.
domesticated: Tamed and raised by people over many generations.
waterfowl: Birds such as ducks, geese and swans that live on or near water.
floodplain: Flat land next to a river that floods during the rainy season.
endangered: A conservation label meaning a species faces a very high risk of dying out in the wild.

See it in person

Montgomery ZooMontgomery, Alabama · AsiaSee this area on the zoo's website ↗

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

[1] Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. “Anser cygnoides (swan goose).” https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Anser_cygnoides/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
[2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Anser cygnoid (Swan Goose).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22679869/228564177 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

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