<P> Geese are waterfowl of the family Anatidae . This group comprises the genera Anser (the grey geese) and Branta (the black geese). Chen, a genus comprising' white geese', is sometimes used to refer to a group of species that are more commonly placed within Anser . Some other birds, mostly related to the shelducks, have "goose" as part of their names . More distantly related members of the family Anatidae are swans, most of which are larger than true geese, and ducks, which are smaller . </P> <P> The word "goose" is a direct descendent of Proto - Indo - European root, * ghans - . In Germanic languages, the root gave Old English gōs with the plural gēs and gandres (becoming Modern English goose, geese, gander, and gosling, respectively), Frisian goes, gies and guoske, New High German Gans, Gänse, and Ganter, and Old Norse gās . This term also gave Lithuanian žąsìs, Irish gé (goose, from Old Irish géiss), Latin anser, Greek χήν / khēn, Dutch gans, Albanian gatë (heron), Sanskrit hamsa and hamsi, Finnish hanhi, Avestan zāō, Polish gęś, Ukrainian гуска and гусак, Russian гусыня and гусь, Czech husa, and Persian ghāz . </P> <P> The term goose applies to the female in particular, while gander applies to the male in particular . Young birds before fledging are called goslings . The collective noun for a group of geese on the ground is a gaggle; when in flight, they are called a skein, a team, or a wedge; when flying close together, they are called a plump . </P> <P> The three living genera of true geese are: Anser, grey geese, including the greylag goose, and domestic geese; Chen, white geese (often included in Anser); and Branta, black geese, such as the Canada goose . </P>

What is the name for a group of geese