Graylag Goose Similar Species Comparison
Main SpeciesGraylag Goose
(European)
A large goose with a light grayish-brown head, neck, breast, and belly; dark brown upperparts; a white tail with a dark band; and pinkish legs. Birds breeding in western Europe (Graylag Goose (European)) have an orangish bill.
© Christoph Moning / Macaulay LibraryBayern, March 15, 2007(Siberian)
Birds breeding from eastern Europe to East Asia (Graylag Goose (Siberian)) are slightly larger and lighter and have pink bills.
© Jian-Long(建龍) WU(吳) / Macaulay LibraryKinmen County, November 03, 2018(European)
In flight, note the strongly contrasting light-dark pattern of the underwings. Some birds show black speckling on the belly, but not as much as in Greater White-fronted Goose.
© António Gonçalves / Macaulay LibraryLisboa, February 12, 2011(Siberian)
In flight, note the extensive pale gray patches on the wings, gray rump, and white tail with broad dark band.
© Nitin Chandra / Macaulay LibraryUttar Pradesh, March 10, 2019(European)
The Graylag Goose's combination of very pale upperwing patches plus strongly contrasting underwing pattern is distinctive among the six species of European “gray geese.”
© Christoph Moning / Macaulay LibraryBurgenland, March 05, 2011(European)
Forms large flocks and grazes in grasslands and agricultural fields.
© Bruce Kerr / Macaulay LibraryScotland, November 19, 2016(Siberian)
Forages on aquatic vegetation in large wetlands.
© jaysukh parekh Suman / Macaulay LibraryGujarat, March 02, 2015Similar SpeciesGraylag Goose
(Domestic type)
Domestic Graylag Geese can be much larger than wild Graylag Geese. These three domestic geese tower over a Greater White-fronted Goose, but a wild Graylag Goose would be only slightly larger.
© Herb Elliott / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, December 23, 2016Similar SpeciesGraylag Goose
(Domestic type)
Domestic geese are often larger than wild Graylag Geese, with a potbellied appearance. Partly or mostly white plumage is another good indication that a bird is a domestic goose.
© Amanda Garcia / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, February 25, 2017Similar SpeciesGreater White-fronted Goose
Adult Greater White-fronted Geese show a wide white line behind the bill and more extensive dark belly speckling than Graylag Geese. In all plumages, Greater White-fronted Geese are smaller-bodied than Graylag Geese, with a smaller bill.
© Brad Imhoff / Macaulay LibraryOhio, April 27, 2020Similar SpeciesGreater White-fronted Goose
In flight, adult Greater White-fronted Geese have a blackish rump (versus light gray in Graylag) and limited gray in the upperwings.
© André Lanouette / Macaulay LibraryQuebec, December 04, 2022Similar SpeciesPink-footed Goose
Pink-footed Geese are smaller than Graylag Geese, with a shorter, mostly dark bill, a darker head, and lighter upperparts.
© Christoph Moning / Macaulay LibrarySvalbard, June 06, 2015Similar SpeciesPink-footed Goose
In flight, Pink-footed Geese have darker underwings, lacking the strong underwing contrast seen in Graylag Geese.
© Frank King / Macaulay LibraryNewfoundland and Labrador, April 29, 2019Similar SpeciesTaiga Bean-Goose
Taiga Bean-Geese have a mostly dark bill (with a variable amount of orange), a darker head than Graylag Goose, and orange (rather than pink) legs.
© Isolith Huang / Macaulay LibraryNew Taipei City, November 29, 2020Similar SpeciesTaiga Bean-Goose
In flight, Taiga Bean-Geese have uniformly dark underwings, dark upperwings, a blackish rump (versus light gray in Graylag), and a mostly dark tail.
© Jeremiah Trimble / Macaulay LibraryDornod, June 29, 2012Similar SpeciesTundra Bean-Goose
Tundra Bean-Geese have a mostly dark bill (with a small amount of orange), a darker head than Graylag Goose, and orange (rather than pink) legs.
© Volkov Sergey / Macaulay LibraryNenets Autonomous Okrug, June 17, 2016Similar SpeciesTundra Bean-Goose
In flight, Tundra Bean-Geese have uniformly dark underwings, dark upperwings, a blackish rump (versus light gray in Graylag), and a mostly dark tail.
© Volker Hesse / Macaulay LibraryNiedersachsen, January 29, 2011Rotate Your Device to Better Compare
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Species in This Family
Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl(Order: Anseriformes, Family: Anatidae)
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