How to Tell Male & Female Geese Apart

Male and female geese appear to look exactly alike. Adult males look very similar to adult females since they help with the incubation, development, nesting, and rearing of the chicks. Male and female geese mate once a year. With both caring for the chicks, it increases their chances of making it to adulthood. Telling the sex of a goose is easier once they become adults, otherwise you will need to analyze their sex by venting, a procedure that checks the goose's sexual organs.

Instructions

    • 1

      Examine the behavior of the geese. Once they reach maturity (about three years old), the male tends to be more dominant and aggressive than the female, particularly during mating season. The male is more protective of the nesting area as well. Once the female chooses a male they remain together until one dies. The female will often follow behind the male on water and land, as well as stand close to him on land.

    • 2

      Listen to the sounds of geese. The male goose will let out a high-pitched honking sound to attract the female when they are ready to mate. The male will also flap his wings and chase after other males, biting them, and trying to keep them away from the female of his choice. The female lets out a low-toned quack when she is ready to mate.

    • 3

      Analyze the appearance of several geese to tell which ones are male and female. The female will have a slender neck, while the male has a thick neck. Female geese are smaller in size than males, and their heads differ slightly as well. The male head is larger and broader, while the female head is narrow and smaller than the male. In some breeds of geese, such as the Chinese geese, it can be rather easy to tell the difference between the male and female by simply looking at the knob on their heads. Male Chinese geese have a large knob on their heads, while the female doesn't.