University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Waterfowl of North America, Revised Edition (2010) Papers in the Biological Sciences 2010 Waterfowl of North America: SWANS AND TRUE GEESE Tribe Anserini Paul A. Johnsgard University of Nebraska-Lincoln,
[email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/biosciwaterfowlna Part of the Ornithology Commons Johnsgard, Paul A., "Waterfowl of North America: SWANS AND TRUE GEESE Tribe Anserini" (2010). Waterfowl of North America, Revised Edition (2010). 9. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/biosciwaterfowlna/9 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Papers in the Biological Sciences at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Waterfowl of North America, Revised Edition (2010) by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. SWANS AND TRUE GEESE Tribe Anserini The approximately twenty extant species of swans and true geese are, unlike the whistling ducks, primarily of temperate and arctic distribution, especially in the Northern Hemisphere. It is thus not surprising that continen tal North America may lay claim to at least nine breeding species, or nearly half.of the known total. Additionally, sufficient records of a tenth, the barna cle goose, are known as to warrant its inclusion in the book even though there is no indication that it nests in continental North America. Several additional Old World species of geese and swans have been re ported one or more times in North America, but the likelihood of at least some of these being escapes from captivity seems so great that their inclusion seems unjustified.