The Anserinae are a subfamily in the waterfowl family Anatidae and includes the swan and geese. Under alternative systematical concepts (see e.g., Terres & NAS, 1991), it is split into two subfamilies. The Anserinae contains geese and ducks, while the Cygninae contains the swans.
Systematics
Swans (Tribe Cygnini)
- Genus Cygnus – true swans: The black-and-yellow-billed swans are sometimes separated in the genus Olor.
- Genus †Afrocygnus (Miocene of North Africa)
- Genus †Annakacygna – short-winged swans (Miocene of Japan)
- Genus †Megalodytes (Miocene of California)
True geese (Tribe Anserini)
- Genus Anser – grey and white geese
- Genus Branta – black geese (including †B. rhuax, formerly placed in Geochen)
Unresolved
- Genus Coscoroba – coscoroba swan
These two genera are distinct from other geese and often elevated to a subfamily of their own (Cereopsinae), or alternatively into the shelduck subfamily Tadorninae:
Tribe Cereopseini
- Genus Cereopsis – Cape Barren goose
- Genus †Cnemiornis – New Zealand geese (prehistoric)
Some enigmatic subfossils of very large goose-like birds from the Hawaiian Islands do not appear to be moa-nalos (goose-sized dabbling ducks) or B. rhuax. They cannot be assigned to any genus living today, though both may be fairly close to Branta:
- Very large Hawaiʻian goose, ?Branta sp.
- Giant Oʻahu goose, Anatidae sp. et gen. indet.