One of the 4 geese on WAnimals
Birds · Anseriformes · Anatidae
Egyptian Goose
Alopochen aegyptiaca
The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary
A waterfowl intermediate in size between a goose and a duck, predominantly brown, with chestnut patches around the eyes and on the lower breast that give it the look of wearing a mask. Long pinkish legs, an upright bearing and, in flight, white wing coverts like those of the shelducks.
Weight
1.5 kg – 2.3 kg
Diet
Herbivore
Feeds mainly on plants.
Activity
Diurnal
Active mainly during the day.
Social structure
In pairs
Usually lives in pairs, sometimes for life.
Sighting difficulty
Easy
Estimated population
26,000 pairs in central Europe in 2010. In Extremadura the records went from 15 geese between 1998 and 2008 to a sizeable breeding nucleus, with a population that appears to double every year
Fun facts
- GeneralIt appears in ancient Egyptian paintings; today it is invasive in several European countries.
- Its scientific name means "fox-goose", from the Greek alopex, fox, and chen, goose, for the reddish tone of its back.
- In ancient Egypt it was considered sacred and it appears in papyri and illustrations; the Greeks and Romans also kept it in their domestic flocks.
- Technically it is not a goose but a shelduck, a group intermediate between ducks and geese.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
- Habitat & environment
- River banks, lakes and reservoirs
- Sexual maturity
- 2 years
- Gestation / incubation
- 29 days
- Litter / clutch size
- It is monogamous and both parents care for the young
Sources consulted: IUCN Red List; SEO/BirdLife (ficha y III Atlas: Prieta Díaz 2022); Catálogo Español de Especies Exóticas Invasoras (RD 630/2013); MITECO (ficha de especie invasora); Keller et al. 2020, European Breeding Bird Atlas 2; Mazurska y Solarz 2016 (evaluación de riesgo para la UE); Kear 2005; Fischer et al. 2023, Animals 13; Linnaeus 1766
Where to find it
See its range on the interactive mapBest time: All year round on reservoirs, lagoons and urban parks with open water
Where to watch it
Parques y spots de buceo donde se ha documentado esta especie — se muestran 10 de 27 documentados.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Egyptian Goose — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Northern Pintail
Anas acuta
White-faced Whistling-Duck
Dendrocygna viduata
Knob-billed Duck
Sarkidiornis melanotos
Ruddy Shelduck
Tadorna ferruginea
Red-Knobbed Coot
Fulica cristata
Kentish Plover
Charadrius alexandrinus
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