Gorki Geese

A Gorki gander
Photo courtesy of Hans Ringnalda & Sigrid van Dort

The Gorki is one of the Russian fighting geese, somewhat smaller than the better known Tula. It also has a more normal head shape and bill compared to the Tula.

Male Gorki look pretty naked in the spring, as the females pull out their feathers to use as nesting material.

Like the Tula, this is a very tame and laid back breed of goose.

The concept of fighting geese sounds rather interesting, as there's no blood involved. It is more like Sumo wrestling. The ganders grab each other at the base of the wing and start to push. The loser is the one who is pushed away. Meanwhile the females are yelling to their ganders, seeming to be cheering them on and making them more excited.