Egyptian Goose: how to recognise it
A bird seen on most continents. Learn the marks that make it easy to identify, then practise with real photographs in Lore.
Practise with real photosAll species guides
Photo © Nik Borrow · CC BY-NC · iNaturalist · all photo credits
- Scientific name
- Alopochen aegyptiaca
- Family
- Ducks, Geese, and Swans
- Size
- About 68 cm
- Habitat
- Wet meadows, ditches and park lakes
- Found in
- Europe, Africa, Asia, North America and South America
The key marks
Sandy-brown goose-like duck with a dark brown patch around the eye, a brown spot on the breast and long pink legs; big white wing patches in flight. Shelduck is white with a red bill and a chestnut breast band.
Voice
Hoarse hissing from the male and loud honking cackles from the female.
Good to know
Originally from Africa, it escaped from parks and is now common in the Netherlands, often nesting in trees or on buildings.
Do not confuse with
Compare it with the Common Shelduck. Look at the marks above one by one rather than the overall colour, and practise telling the two apart with real photos.
Where and when
You can expect to find it in wet meadows, ditches and park lakes. It is especially common in South Africa, Kenya, the Netherlands and Tanzania. Distribution changes with the seasons and from year to year, so check a recent local observation source before you go looking.