New Zealand Introduced Animals > Sebastapol Geese

Sebastapol Geese

INTRODUCED

ORIGIN: They are reputed to be of European origin and were called Sebastopol after they were brought from the seaport of Sebastopol.

FOOD: Grain, seed and grass from grazing fields. Geese are excellent grazers and are often used to control grass length as they do at Willowbank.

VOICE: Loud series of honkings.

GENERAL: Sebastopol's have been called the 'pantomime goose' because of their fancy feathers. They have a frizzle feather mutation which causes the shaft of the feather to split and curl, and this gives the bird a fluffy appearance. They are poor flyers. They can be short tempered as they partly descend from Russian fighting geese. Pure bred geese are still rare in New Zealand.


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