Goose vs Swan

Swans are among the largest flying birds in North America. A tundra swan runs about 47 to 58 inches long and 8 to 23 pounds, while a Canada goose is about 30 to 43 inches and 7 to 20 pounds. Large geese and small swans can overlap in weight, so check the neck first.

Swans have a longer neck in proportion to the body, adults are all white in North America's native swans, and the voice is a bugle or whoop rather than a honk. Geese are chunkier with shorter necks, and Canada geese have a black head and neck with a white chinstrap. Snow geese are white but much smaller.

Goose vs Swan side by side

Last verified October 2026. Typical values; individual animals, products and local prices vary.

When you are looking at which

Goose (Canada goose)

• A black head and neck with a white chinstrap, which marks a Canada goose.
• A flock flying in a V formation with loud honking overhead.
• A white bird with black wing tips and a smaller body, which is a snow goose.
• A chunky bird whose neck looks short and thick next to a swan's long, slender one.

Swan (tundra swan)

• A very large, all-white bird with a long neck and a big heavy body.
• A long, straight neck in flight and slow, deep wingbeats with an all-white body.
• A black bill with a yellow patch near the base on a white bird, typical of a tundra swan.
• A soft, whooping or bugle-like call instead of a honk.

How this works

The quiz weighs size, neck, color, voice and flight. Each answer favors goose or swan, and the side with more cues wins. If cues split, the result says so. Neck proportion counts most, because weights overlap between the largest geese and the smallest swans.

Weights overlap between large geese and small swans, and domestic geese and ornamental swans can differ from wild birds. The guide uses native North American species and is a best guess for wild birds. Check the date and place too, since swans and snow geese gather in mixed flocks on migration and look alike from far away.

Where these numbers come from

The figures and defaults on this page are based on:

• Cornell Lab: Tundra Swan Identification, Tundra swan length, weight, all-white plumage and bill color (checked October 2026)
• Cornell Lab: Canada Goose Identification, Canada goose size, black head with white chinstrap and V flight (checked October 2026)
• Northwest Swans: Swan and Goose Identification, Swan vs snow goose neck, weight, wingspan, bill and voice (checked October 2026)

Field-identification guide for wild North American birds. Do not feed or approach nesting swans or geese.