The Pilgrim – or, in Australia, Settler – is a breed of domestic goose. It is considered to be a relatively quiet, lightweight and medium-sized breed. The Pilgrim is a rare and critically endangered species according to the Livestock Conservancy and was added to the Standard of Perfection of the American Poultry Association in 1939. Generally, they can live for 15 to 25 years. In most breeds of geese, males and females are indistinguishable from one another; however, the pilgrim goose is well known for its auto-sexing trait. Males are characterised by white feathers while the females have grey. This sexual dimorphism makes pilgrim geese desirable for breeding as the sexes are easily determined. Their commercial use is primarily limited to the United States where they are bred for eggs and meat. They are known to grow relatively fast and are easy to handle.
History The exact origin of the pilgrim goose is unclear. According to Robert O. Hawes, there were numerous references to auto-sexing geese in colonial America, western England and Normandy (France), although they were never explicitly named. It is believed that pilgrim geese were descendants from European stock and exported to America by pilgrims, hence the name. However, Oscar Grow (a renowned waterfowl expert in the 1900s) contended that he developed the species in America in the 1930s during the Great Depression and that the breed's name was given by his wife in recognition of the family's pilgrimage from Iowa to Missouri. According to Dave Holderread, an experienced breeder and author in the field of waterfowl, there were likely small populations of auto-sexing geese in various locations throughout the world. The first official documentation of the pilgrim goose was in 1935. In 1939, it was recognised in the America Poultry Association's Standard of Perfection and was later standardised in the UK in 1982. In Australia, the breed was named Settler goose by Andreas Stoll in 1984. In 1999, it was admitted into the Poultry Clubs standard.
Description The Pilgrim is a medium-sized and medium-weight breed. Ganders can weigh between 6.3 and 8.2 kg (14 and 18 lb) while the females weigh between 5.4 and 7.3 kg (12 and 16 lb). They have plump bodies with a smooth chest that is keelless (lacking a visible breastbone) and two rounded fatty lobes located on their abdomen. The head of a pilgrim goose is medium-sized and oval shaped, with a flattened crown (top of the head). Their necks are average in both length and thickness and have a slightly arched form. They also have a medium length beak which is straight and smoothly attached to the head. Both adult male and female pilgrim geese have webbed toes, short shanks and a knobless bill that are entirely orange in colour. They have a medium length tail which is found closely folded, while the wings are strong and found flush to the body. Both the ganders and geese have plumage that is hard and tight as well as relatively large eyes. However, the colour of their eyes and plumage differ between the two genders and are therefore the major features associated with their auto-sexing characteristic.
Sexual dimorphism Pilgrim geese are renowned for their sexual dimorphism whereby the males and females are distinguishable by colour (particularly in terms of plumage, bill and eye colour). This is considered a rare condition among domestic birds. There are only four other auto-sexing breeds of geese: the West of England (Old English), the Choctaw (Cotton Patch), the Shetland and the Normandy goose. In new-borns, the gender of a pilgrim goose is most easily identified according to bill colour, whilst the plumage colour distinctions become more apparent as the geese grow older. Male goslings have a silvery, light yellow down and a light coloured bill akin to an Embden gosling. By 12–14 days old, the males are distinctly white coloured. Female goslings have deep greyish-green down and a dark coloured bill similar to Toulouse goslings. Adult male pilgrim geese are identified by a creamy white plumage (some may also have some grey markings on the rump, wings and tail) and blue eyes. Meanwhile, adult females have a mostly olive-grey plumage which is relatively lighter in comparison to the Toulouse and Pomeranian geese breeds. The females’ faces may also have traces of white starting from the beak and encircling the eyes, forming spectacles around them. In the 1930s, there was a movement by the Society of the Pilgrim Goose to attempt to restore the popularity of sexually dimorphic geese in the United States. And, since pilgrim geese were the earliest known sexually dimorphic domestic geese in the United States, they were selected for breeding.
Behaviour Pilgrim geese are known for their docile and friendly temperament. They have a calm, personable and quiet disposition, which makes them less aggressive in comparison to other breeds. Furthermore, they have a curious personality and a high sense of awareness of their surrounding environment due to their strong vision. This makes them a suitable sentinel bird, as they will often alert owners of new activity such as intrusions or when someone or something arrives. Furthermore, they are useful for weed control as they have a natural tendency to keep the weeds down by feeding on them. While doing so, their droppings will act as fertiliser for the pasture as their manure is environmentally friendly and free of chemicals. Pilgrim geese also have strong parenting qualities and are good caretakers of their young. However, this often triggers a more protective behaviour (in contrast to their typically peaceful demeanour) during breeding season as they become defensive of their young. In particular, ganders may exhibit hissing or “honking” behaviours towards humans upon approaching their nest. Pilgrim geese are also unique for their relatively strong flying abilities in comparison to other domesticated geese breeds.
Feeding Pilgrim geese are considered strong foragers with a relatively expansive diet. Specifically, plant material constitutes a large portion of their diet as they graze in pastures, orchards and yards as well as feed on dandelions and weeds. Furthermore, they will also feed on larvae and pupae (which can be found beneath rocks), aquatic animals, seeds, small fish, snails and crabs.
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