Are Sebastopol Geese Loud?

Yes. Sebastopol geese are loud, like all geese. They are not aggressive about it, but they will announce visitors, vehicles, dogs, and each other, and they carry a long way. If you have close neighbours, think this through honestly before ordering.

What the noise is actually like

Geese are alarm animals. Something arrives, they call, and once one starts the rest join in. It is loud, it carries, and it lasts as long as whatever set them off. Most of the day they are quiet, grazing and muttering to each other. The noise comes in bursts rather than as a constant.

Ganders and geese sound different, which is a useful thing to learn for other reasons too. Ganders tend to a higher, thinner call and geese to a lower honk. The sexing guide covers using that as a clue.

Are they louder than other geese?

Not noticeably. There is no evidence Sebastopols are quieter or noisier than other domestic goose breeds. What they are is calmer in temperament, which is a different thing from being quieter. A calm bird that trusts you still shouts at the postman.

If quiet is the requirement, waterfowl is the wrong family of bird. Ducks are quieter than geese on average, and a lot of poultry is quieter than either.

Whether they suit your situation

The honest test is distance and tolerance. On acreage with no close neighbours, the noise is a non-issue and arguably a feature: a goose is a genuinely effective alarm. On a small suburban plot with a shared fence, it is the thing most likely to cause a problem.

This is worth deciding before you order rather than after, because rehoming a flock is a great deal harder than not starting one. The FAQ covers the other practical questions people ask at this stage.

Common Questions

Are Sebastopol geese loud?

Yes. Like all geese they call loudly at anything unfamiliar, and once one starts the rest join in. Most of the day they are quiet, but the bursts carry a long way.