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 Whether this latter anatid was indeed a shelduck is presently undetermined. Similarly, two bones found on Oʻahu indicate the erstwhile present of a gigantic waterfowl on this island. Its relationships relative to this genus and the moa-nalos, enormous goose-like dabbling ducks, are completely undeterminable at present. Several fossil species of "Branta" have been described. Since the true geese are hardly distinguishable by anatomical features, the allocation of these to this genus is somewhat uncertain. A number of supposed prehistoric grey geese have been described from North America, partially from the same sites as species assigned to "Branta". Whether these are