The swan goose is a large goose with a natural breeding range in inland Mongolia, Northeast China, and the Russian Far East. It is migratory and winters mainly in central and eastern China. Vagrant birds are encountered in Japan and Korea, and more rarely in Kazakhstan, Laos, coastal Siberia, Taiwan, Thailand and Uzbekistan.
Region
Northeast and East Asia
Typical Environment
Breeds on open steppe lakes, broad river valleys, and marshy floodplains across inland Mongolia, Northeast China, and the Russian Far East. In the nonbreeding season it concentrates in lowland wetlands, rice paddies, and reservoir margins in central and eastern China. Vagrants appear in Korea and Japan, and more rarely in parts of Southeast and Central Asia. It favors expansive water bodies with vegetated shorelines and adjacent grasslands or agricultural fields for foraging.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 2000 m
Climate Zone
Temperate
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
The swan goose is the wild ancestor of the domesticated Chinese goose, which often has a knob at the base of the bill in domestic forms. It breeds on steppe lakes and river floodplains in Mongolia, northeast China, and the Russian Far East, then winters mainly in central and eastern China. Populations have declined due to wetland loss, disturbance, and hunting pressure along migration routes. Its long neck with a dark nape stripe is a key field mark among Asian geese.
Wild-type birds in Beijing
Captive flock in Heidelberg, Germany. These birds are close to the wild type, but do show a slight knob at the base of the bill, indicating some domesticated ancestry
White Chinese goose, showing a strongly developed bill knob,
Temperament
wary and alert, moderately social
Flight Pattern
strong flier with steady, powerful wingbeats
Social Behavior
Typically monogamous, forming long-term pairs. Nests on the ground near water with sparse cover, often on islands or banks. Outside the breeding season it gathers in sizable flocks at traditional staging and wintering wetlands, sometimes mixing with other geese.
Migratory Pattern
Seasonal migrant
Song Description
Calls are loud, resonant honks and nasal aahnk notes, often exchanged in pairs. Flocks in flight give a chorus of bugling honks that carry over long distances.
