An adult Swan Goose has greyish-brown upperparts and is white to pale buff below, with a whitish throat and neck-sides, whilst the back of its long neck is seal brown. Its legs and feet are orange, whilst its bill is black (fig.), with a thin white stripe that surrounds the bill base, and a basal knob on the upper side of the bill in males. The geese seen here are of the domesticated breed, which is generally referred to as Chinese Goose.

They are somewhat larger than the wild breed and males have a more prominent basal knob, while the black bill may have an orange wash towards the base and on the basal knob. The domesticated breed also exists as a white variety, with a totally orange bill (fig.).

Sometimes, the brown on the back of the neck may only be a wash, rather than a full stripe, as seen in this female. The geese in these photos are found at the Delhi National Zoological Park in India, but in nature members of the wild breed are found in China and Mongolia, and may sometimes winter in Laos and Thailand.