Greylag goose the western greylag goose, breeds in Iceland and north and central Europe; "A. a. rubrirostris", the eastern greylag goose, breeds in Romania, Turkey and Russia eastwards to northeastern China. The two subspecies intergrade where their ranges meet. The greylag goose sometimes hybridises with other species of goose including the barnacle goose ("Branta leucopsis") and the Canada goose ("Branta canadensis"), and occasionally with the mute swan ("Cygnus olor"). The greylag goose was one of the first animals to be domesticated; this happened at least 3000 years ago in Ancient Egypt, the domestic breed being known as "A. a. domesticus". As the
Branta or "Branta". Branta The black geese of the genus Branta are waterfowl belonging to the true geese and swans subfamily Anserinae. They occur in the northern coastal regions of the Palearctic and all over North America, migrating to more southernly coasts in winter, and as resident birds in the Hawaiian Islands. Alone in the Southern Hemisphere, a self-sustaining feral population derived from introduced Canada geese is also found in New Zealand. The scientific name "Branta" is a Latinised form of Old Norse "Brandgás", "burnt (black) goose". The black geese derive their vernacular name for the prominent areas of black coloration