1. Which Wild Bird Are Loud, Protective Farm Geese Descended From?
If you approach a goose on a farm or in a park, it may honk loudly. Geese are very alert and may honk at or act aggressively toward strangers and animals. Because of this, they have long been kept as substitutes for watchdogs. [6] In Japan, the number kept is not large, and they are mostly kept as pets or watchdogs. [6]
The ancestor of this wary bird is the wild goose. Dictionaries explain that in Europe and West Asia, geese were domesticated from the Greylag Goose, while in China, they were domesticated from the Swan Goose. [1] In 2023, a paper analyzing the whole genomes of 74 birds was published. It reported that Chinese geese (excluding the Ili breed) are descendants of the Swan Goose, while European geese and the Chinese Ili breed are descendants of the Greylag Goose. [2] This means not all Chinese geese come from the Swan Goose; there are exceptions.
The wild Greylag Goose is a large bird, 74 to 91 cm (about 29 to 36 inches) long. It is said to breed in the mid-latitudes of the Eurasian continent and migrate south in winter. [5] In Japan, it is a rare winter or migratory bird. [5]
The two lineages, each from a different species, differ in body shape. A guide from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for small-scale keeping shows the differences. The European Emden breed can weigh up to about 10 kg (about 22 pounds) for males. Chinese breeds have males weighing about 5 kg (about 11 pounds), have a knob at the base of the beak, and some breeds lay up to about 100 eggs during the breeding season. [7] However, these are guidelines for specific breeds, not numbers for every individual. The guide also states that hybrids from these two different species can have offspring, and these hybrids have become breeds themselves. [7]
2. Did People Raise Geese in a Village 7,000 Years Ago at Tianluoshan, China?
Tianluoshan, in Zhejiang Province in the lower Yangtze River region of China, is an archaeological site. It holds the remains of a Hemudu culture village from about 7,000 years ago. Researchers including Associate Professor Masaki Egawa from Hokkaido University analyzed more than 200 goose bones found here. [3]
They focused on bones from young individuals aged 4 to 8 weeks. [3] There were other clues. The ratio of oxygen isotopes in the bones can show which individuals did not migrate, and they may have eaten food different from migratory birds, possibly cultivated rice. The bones were also similar in size. [4]
The paper positioned this as an "early stage of domestication." It states there were signs that the population was maintained for several generations without introducing individuals from outside. [4] However, this is the paper's claim. The researchers themselves note that identifying the specific goose species is a challenge. [3]
So, were the geese in this village 7,000 years ago Greylag Geese or Swan Geese? The sources do not say which. This also does not match the genomic analysis estimate that "domestication of Chinese types began about 3,500 years ago." [2] We avoid making a firm conclusion by placing numbers from different methods side by side.
3. What Places Do Geese Kept by People Need Today?
Where do geese kept by people live? A guide for schools from the Department of Education in New South Wales, Australia, states that waterfowl need access to a pond or a large basin of water. [8] Some keeping guides explain that the water must be deep enough to submerge their heads, which they use to wash their eyes and nostrils. A grazing area where they can eat grass and walk is also essential. [8]
According to the FAO guide, geese can adapt to both heat and cold. They can live in hot regions if there is shade, and they can spend winter outdoors in northern countries with minimal shelter. [7]
However, the conditions of water and grass do not mean they are easy to keep at home casually. Because they honk loudly and act aggressively toward strangers, [6] it is safer to stay away and observe their sounds and walking if you see a goose.
4. Where Do Wild Geese Spend the Winter in Japan?
Since Greylag Geese rarely come to Japan, [5] the geese seen in large numbers in winter are different species. In a January 2015 survey by the Ministry of the Environment, about 212,000 geese were counted, with the majority being White-fronted Geese. In Miyagi Prefecture, about 184,000 White-fronted Geese were found, which is about 96% of the national total. [9] This survey was a specific annual count, and numbers change every year.
One central gathering place is Kaburaginu Marsh and the surrounding rice fields. A tourism guide explains that about 70,000 White-fronted Geese come in winter, which is about half of those coming to Japan. [10] The geese fly out from the marsh in the morning and return to their roosts in the evening. [10] However, the figure of 70,000 is an estimate.
Around Kaburaginu Marsh, "fuyu-mizu tanbo" (winter-flooded rice paddies) are practiced. This is an effort to provide feeding grounds, roosts, and drinking water for the geese. In 2005, it was registered as the first Ramsar wetland in the world with "paddy" in its name. [11]
Both wild geese and domestic geese need places with water and grass. This similarity does not mean that the White-fronted Goose is a direct ancestor of domestic geese.
5. How Can You Observe Geese and Wild Geese Near You?
If you see a goose in a nearby park, zoo, or farm, try observing it from a distance. Is it choosing a place with water? Is it walking and eating grass? Does it honk at strangers? You can imagine whether the geese in the Tianluoshan village were also raised in places with grass and water.
Wild geese are in winter rice fields and marshes. However, the time and place they can be seen differ by year and region, so check guides from the Ministry of the Environment, local governments, or observation facilities before going out. It is also recommended to read the official Miyagi Prefecture materials on the "fuyu-mizu tanbo" efforts. [11]
Research on the bones from Tianluoshan is published in an introduction article from Hokkaido University and a paper in PNAS. [3] [4] Since the researchers note that identifying the species remains a challenge, it is worth checking if new research has been released.