# England's royal goose counter? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 19, 2009, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/englands-royal-goose-counter/506991 "2009-08-19T20:41:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2009, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/englands-royal-goose-counter/506991/1 "2009-08-19T20:41:48Z")
I swear I read somewhere failrly recently that there’s a guy who’s official job is the Royal Goose Counter - as in, he takes a boat up and down the Thames and counts all the geese. I was telling a friend about that, and of course he didn’t believe me, and I wasn’t able to Google anything about it to back me up. And I still can’t. Does anyone know what I’m taking about? ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2009, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/englands-royal-goose-counter/506991/2 "2009-08-19T20:47:36Z")
It’s swans, not geese. [http://www.royal.gov.uk/RoyalEventsandCeremonies/SwanUpping/SwanUpping.aspx](http://www.royal.gov.uk/RoyalEventsandCeremonies/SwanUpping/SwanUpping.aspx) ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2009, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/englands-royal-goose-counter/506991/3 "2009-08-19T20:53:08Z")
They’re pretty greasy, either way. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Awesome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a698b9/32.png) [@Captain\_Awesome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Awesome)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2009, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/englands-royal-goose-counter/506991/4 "2009-08-19T20:53:31Z")
Not sure about Royal, but there is a goose counter employed full-time by Scottish Natural Heritage. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2009, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/englands-royal-goose-counter/506991/5 "2009-08-19T21:43:37Z")
> [@Struan](#): > > It’s swans, not geese. > > [http://www.royal.gov.uk/RoyalEventsandCeremonies/SwanUpping/SwanUpping.aspx](http://www.royal.gov.uk/RoyalEventsandCeremonies/SwanUpping/SwanUpping.aspx) Indeed. So he’s “The Queen’s Swan Marker.” Interesting, and thanks. ---
**Author:** ![zombywoof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9e8a1a/32.png) [@zombywoof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombywoof)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2009, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/englands-royal-goose-counter/506991/6 "2009-08-19T21:52:15Z")
Isn’t there someone in charge of the Ravens at the Tower of London as well? ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2009, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/englands-royal-goose-counter/506991/7 "2009-08-19T21:58:00Z")
> [@zombywoof](#): > > Isn’t there someone in charge of the Ravens at the Tower of London as well? Yup, the [Ravenmaster](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4098894.stm). ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/englands-royal-goose-counter/506991/8 "2009-08-20T08:20:56Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > They’re pretty greasy, either way. Really? I’m surprised this has never been mentioned. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Awesome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a698b9/32.png) [@Captain\_Awesome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Awesome)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/englands-royal-goose-counter/506991/9 "2009-08-20T09:05:08Z")
They taste fishy apparently too, but somewhat better if fed on oats at a young age; however the Queen no longer extends her right to eat them. Electrocution is instead a greater mortal enemy for the swan, and likely causes the greatest number of deaths. ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/englands-royal-goose-counter/506991/10 "2009-08-20T09:39:39Z")
> [@Morbo](#): > > Indeed. So he’s “The Queen’s Swan Marker.” Interesting, and thanks. This is his traditional title, although as far as I’m aware he doesn’t actually mark any swans. He used to, or at least his predecessors did, as evidenced by the markings shown in [in here](http://www.thamesweb.co.uk/swans/upping2.html). Note, however, that the linked piece is dated 1981, and the system has changed to one of attaching a ring, or rings, to the bird’s leg(s). As far as I can make out, reading what’s [in there](http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=EgWVt7van8MC&pg=PA128&lpg=PA128&dq=swan+upping+ring&source=bl&ots=e7Nbtnd58D&sig=YTjxMKn3RaMiUvK5gMCVHtE3-c4&hl=en&ei=UxSNSvOrKJuN_AbUoojiDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4) and elsewhere, the Queen’s swans are left unmarked and unringed, while those of the Dyers’ Company are ringed on one leg, and those caught by the Vintners’ Company are ringed on both legs. ---
**Author:** ![APB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e8cbc/32.png) [@APB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/APB)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/englands-royal-goose-counter/506991/11 "2009-08-20T10:31:10Z")
This year’s ceremony received a bit more coverage than usual as the Queen attended it for the first time. > **[BBC - Berkshire - History - Queen counts her swans](https://www.bbc.co.uk/berkshire/content/articles/2009/07/20/swan_feature.shtml)** > > A quirky Thames tradition has been honoured by the presence of the Queen for the first time. Her Majesty viewed the Swan Upping ceremony by boarding a classic steam launch at Boveney Lock near Eton, and travelling to Oakley Court in Windsor. ---
**Author:** ![kferr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71e660/32.png) [@kferr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kferr)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/englands-royal-goose-counter/506991/12 "2009-08-21T12:01:12Z")
There are pubs in the UK with the name “The Swan with two Necks”. “Necks” being a corruption of “Nicks” from when the swans were marked with nicks cut into the beaks and not rings. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/englands-royal-goose-counter/506991/13 "2009-08-22T09:31:37Z")
[http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1421/840540320\_2ae69a38fa.jpg%3Fv%3D0&imgrefurl=http://flickr.com/photos/drapesy/840540320/&usg=\_\_S776szAjApM7Uv1gdyVD9rgavpI=&h=375&w=500&sz=125&hl=en&start=14&um=1&tbnid=1B21PsVDxPBhgM:&tbnh=98&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dswan%2Bwith%2Btwo%2Bnecks%2Bleeds%26hl%3Den%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:en-US%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1](http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1421/840540320_2ae69a38fa.jpg%3Fv%3D0&imgrefurl=http://flickr.com/photos/drapesy/840540320/&usg=__S776szAjApM7Uv1gdyVD9rgavpI=&h=375&w=500&sz=125&hl=en&start=14&um=1&tbnid=1B21PsVDxPBhgM:&tbnh=98&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dswan%2Bwith%2Btwo%2Bnecks%2Bleeds%26hl%3Den%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:en-US%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1) ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/englands-royal-goose-counter/506991/14 "2009-08-22T09:40:14Z")
Where is **DuckDuckGoose**?