Breeding birds: 1,100 pairs
Wintering birds: 3,400 birds
Family: Ducks, geese & swans
Egyptian geese have varied plumage but usually have dark brown upper parts with lighter brown scapulars. Their breasts and bellies are grey or dull yellow with a dark patch. They have white wings crossed by a narrow black line, black primaries, metallic green secondaries, and chestnut coloured tertials. Their rump and tail are black with cinnamon undertail coverts.
They have a buff-grey head with a. black line that starts from the bill and surrounds the eye in a broad dark band. There is a brown stripe that forms a fine collar on the lower neck towards the nape. Their eyes are brown, and their bill and legs are dark pink.
Both male and female Egyptian geese look similar but the male is larger than the female.
Juvenile Egyptian geese do not have the brown marks around their eyes or on their bellies. Their wings are duller and their bills and legs are dull yellow.
Egyptian geese start breeding in spring and pairs remain together for life. They build their nest on the ground sheltered in vegetation, in abandoned nests of other species in a tree, or on a ledge. The nest is made from roots, leaves, and grass, and lined with down from the female’s breast.
Egyptian geese lay 5-11 creamy white eggs which are incubated by the female alone for 28-30 days. Both parents feed and care for the chicks which fledge at about 60-75 days after hatching. They remain with the parents for several more weeks or months and reach sexual maturity at about 2 years.
Egyptian geese eat grass, seeds, leaves, and stems from various plants, as well as grain, potatoes, and other vegetables. It will also supplement its diet with worms.
Egyptian geese can be seen all year round in the UK. They are found on ornamental ponds, gravel pits, lowland lakes, and wetlands. The largest populations are on the north Norfolk coast.
Egyptian geese are actually ducks and are believed to be closely related to shelducks. It is the only extant member of the genus Alopochen which also contains prehistoric species and the relatively recently extinct Madagascar shelduck and Mauritius sheldgoose.
16 Responses
There is a pair in Bankside in London by the Tate Modern. They had 5 chicks this year who are growing very quickly. Lovely to watch their progress every morning on the way to work.
Spotted a pair of these this evening in hampton lakes UK. Never seen this bird before, just beautiful.
Saw a adult pair with 6 chicks today on the tidal Thames at Tilbury.
Saw these last week at the river in thetford Norfolk
Just watching a program called Waterhole: Africas wild Oasis. Two Egyptian geese were shown fiercely protecting the waterhole and putting off other visitors. I recognised the colouring and feel sure there are a pair of these geese at Eton college playing fields, seen while I’ve been walking the dogs. They seem quite at home there resting, foraging or wandering around. River thames very nearby.
Spotted a beautiful pair in Glendale, California of all places. They were foraging in a recently filled up reservoir.
We do have Egyptian geese in Southern California. We’ve had a few pairs in Orange County close to me. (I’m actually here because the male just lost his mate yesterday and was reading about how they aren’t really geese at all.) They’ve been know to mate with mallards, so hoping he can find a lady duck. 🙂 He does have a brood to take care of now.
A few of these lovely Egyptians skating the ice in Alexander Park, Hastings, E Sussex today
They also best in trees; I’ve seen a few nests in hollows in trees in Kew Gardens with the adults bringing food back for the goslings
A newcomer to the area from South Africa, delighted to find a pair of Egyptian Geese visiting Goldsworth Park Lake, Surrey, England – to add to the, at present, Greylag and Canada Goose, and Mute Swan inhabitants.
30/08/2022
A family of Egyptian geese are living by the River Thames in the Greenhithe area. They have 5 chicks, look healthy, are quite tame and are beautiful to look at. This is the first time that I have seen this breed of bird.
There are a pair on the mud and sand banks at Widnes Cheshire UK currently, never seen them before. There are plenty Shelduck about in the same area. Rob UK.
There are three adults on a local golf course, until recently it was two and one. Since three chicks appeared all three adults have been in close proximity but there is friction between the adults. Prominent white wing patches displayed on the protagonists. Adds to the golf experience.(UK)
Yes, they are beautiful Egyptian Geese. We already have a family of 7 now maturing and momma and poppa have started another nest and we are watching the daily shifts each one takes. They are very territorial and mate for life. There are 7 eggs now being incubated and we are very concerned that all goes well.
We have a family of Egyptian Geese in the pond Behring our home in Florida. 3 babies recently appeared. They a gorgeous creatures.
we live in south Florida and had a flock of Egyptian Geese by our lake May 1 2022. We took photos to try to identify them but from these pictures it looks so much like them. Some had yellow bills, pink red legs, red ring around eye beige torso rust color feathers near tail and black tail feathers behind that. They were smaller than a Canada Goose and larger than the mallard or muscovy we see so much. I saw a rust dot on the back of one in the middle of his long goose like neck. When they lifted their wings there was pure snowy white under them and some black ‘striping’ Hope we made the right cal. In 25 years here this is the first we have seen them. Saw Roseate Spoonbill and Sand Cranes, egrets, and all inds of herons so this was a tread. The Limmpets screching is quite loud but they are so pretty.