Chen (genus)

Chen (genus)
White geese
Immature Ross's Goose (Chen rossii, left) and adult Lesser Snow Geese (C. caerulescens caerulescens)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Subfamily: Anserinae
Tribe: Anserini
Genus: Chen (disputed)
Boie, 1822
Species

see text.

Synonyms

Philacte Bannister, 1870

The white geese are a small group of waterfowl which are united in the genus or subgenus Chen, in the true geese and swan subfamily Anserinae. They breed on subarctic areas of North America and around the Bering Strait, migrating south in winter.

Many authorities place these species in the grey goose genus Anser. Indeed, Chen and Anser are anatomically indistinguishable. However, external morphology, biogeography, and molecular data[citation needed] suggest that the white geese are indeed an evolutionary lineage distinct from the grey geese – from which they split off fairly recently, essentially replacing them in North America. The AOU recognizes this genus as distinct; most other authorities today consider it a subgenus of Anser.

Like grey but unlike the Branta black geese, their feet and legs are colored in reddish hues. The bill is also reddish in these birds as in most grey geese, except in adult males of Ross's Goose which have a blue-black grainy cere. The wingtips are black, as in all true geese, whereas the head is always white without any markings or pattern in adult birds of this genus, which distinguishes them from all other true geese except feral domesticated geese. The rest of the plumage is either white all over, or colored in various dark bluish-grey hues; the latter birds, uniquely among true geese, do not have white uppertail and undertail coverts, though the tail itself may be white.

White-phase snow geese of both species can be told apart from feral geese best by the more slender, elegant neck, which is thick-set in domestic geese; these also have a generally heavier body and often lack black wingtips.

Species

The supposed fossil dwarf snow goose Chen pressa is now placed in Anser (Brodkorb, 1964).

References

  • Brodkorb, Pierce (1964): Catalogue of Fossil Birds: Part 2 (Anseriformes through Galliformes). Bulletin of the Florida State Museum 8(3): 195–335. PDF or JPEG fulltext
  • Carboneras, Carles (1992): Family Anatidae (Ducks, Geese and Swans). In: del Hoyo, Josep; Elliott, Andrew & Sargatal, Jordi (editors): Handbook of Birds of the World, Volume 1: Ostrich to Ducks: 536–629. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. ISBN 84-87334-10-5



Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Chen — is a Chinese surname and a Hebrew word ( חֵן ) meaning loveliness , or grace , which is also a common given name and surname. See Chen (surname). Chen can also refer to: Chen Dynasty, dynasty in Chinese history Chen (state) during the Zhou… …   Wikipedia

  • Chen coerulescens — Snow Snow, n. [OE. snow, snaw, AS. sn[=a]w; akin to D. sneeuw, OS. & OHG. sn[=e]o, G. schnee, Icel. sn[ae]r, snj[=o]r, snaj[=a]r, Sw. sn[ o], Dan. snee, Goth. snaiws, Lith. sn[ e]gas, Russ. snieg , Ir. & Gael. sneachd, W. nyf, L. nix, nivis, Gr.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Chen hyperborea — Snow Snow, n. [OE. snow, snaw, AS. sn[=a]w; akin to D. sneeuw, OS. & OHG. sn[=e]o, G. schnee, Icel. sn[ae]r, snj[=o]r, snaj[=a]r, Sw. sn[ o], Dan. snee, Goth. snaiws, Lith. sn[ e]gas, Russ. snieg , Ir. & Gael. sneachd, W. nyf, L. nix, nivis, Gr.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Chen — noun wild goose having white adult plumage • Syn: ↑subgenus Chen • Hypernyms: ↑bird genus • Member Holonyms: ↑Anser, ↑genus Anser • Member Meronyms: ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • genus Anser — noun typical geese • Syn: ↑Anser • Hypernyms: ↑bird genus • Member Holonyms: ↑Anatidae, ↑family Anatidae • Member Meronyms: ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • Anser (genus) — See also Grey Goose (disambiguation) Taxobox name = Anser image width = 240px image caption = Greylag Goose, Anser anser regnum = Animalia phylum = Chordata classis = Aves superordo = Galloanserae ordo = Anseriformes familia = Anatidae subfamilia …   Wikipedia

  • bird genus — noun a genus of birds • Hypernyms: ↑genus • Hyponyms: ↑genus Protoavis, ↑genus Archaeopteryx, ↑genus Archeopteryx, ↑genus Sinornis, ↑genus Ibero mesornis, ↑gen …   Useful english dictionary

  • Sing Chi Chen — ( * 1931 ) es un botánico y distinguidísimo orquidólogo chino. Es investigador en el Laboratorio de Botánica Sistemática y Evolucionaria , Instituto de Botánica , Academia Sinica , Beijing Algunas publicaciones 1999. Flora Reipublicae popularis… …   Wikipedia Español

  • subgenus Chen — noun wild goose having white adult plumage • Syn: ↑Chen • Hypernyms: ↑bird genus • Member Holonyms: ↑Anser, ↑genus Anser • Member Meronyms: ↑blue goose …   Useful english dictionary

  • Epeus (genus) — Taxobox name = Epeus image caption = image width = 250px regnum = Animalia phylum = Arthropoda classis = Arachnida ordo = Araneae familia = Salticidae subfamilia = Plexippinae tribus = Viciriini genus = Epeus genus authority = Peckham Peckham,… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”