Egyptian goose

Egyptian goose
The Egyptian goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca) is an African member of the duck family Anatidae. Because of their popularity chiefly as an ornamental bird, the species has also been introduced to Europe, United States and elsewhere outside their natural range. Egyptian geese were regularly representated in ancient Egyptian art.
Taxonomy
The Egyptian goose is believed to be most closely related to the shelducks (genus Tadorna) and their relatives, and is placed with them in the subfamily Tadorninae. It is the only extant member of the genus Alopochen, which also contains closely related prehistoric and recently extinct species. mtDNA cytochrome b sequence data suggest that the relationships of Alopochen to Tadorna need further investigation.
Etymology
The generic name Alopochen (literally, fox-goose) is based on Greek (alōpós, also alōpēx), "fox", and (chēn) "goose", referring to the ruddy colour of its back. The word χήν : chēn is grammatically of either masculine or feminine gender.
The species name aegyptiacus (or aegyptiaca) is from the Latin Aegyptiacus, "Egyptian".
Description
It swims well and in flight looks heavy, more like a goose than a duck, hence the English name. It is long.
The sexes of this species are identical in plumage but the males average slightly larger. There is a fair amount of variation in plumage tone, with some birds greyer and others browner, but this is not sex- or age-related. A large part of the wings of mature birds is white, but in repose the white is hidden by the wing coverts. When it is aroused, either in alarm or aggression, the white begins to show. In flight or when the wings are fully spread in aggression, the white is conspicuous.
The voices and vocalisations of the sexes differ, the male having a hoarse, subdued duck-like quack which seldom sounds unless it is aroused, as well as a louder, breathy call which is performed in a rapid sequence, sounding somewhat like a steam engine. The male Egyptian goose attracts its mate with an elaborate, noisy courtship display that includes honking, neck stretching and feather displays. The female has a far noisier raucous quack that frequently sounds in aggression and almost incessantly at the slightest disturbance when tending her young.
Distribution
The Egyptian goose is native to Sub-Saharan Africa and the Nile Valley, where it is widespread and common to abundant, though it has become scarce in the northern Nile Valley where now mainly a visitor. It is found in open or semi-open habitats, typically near fresh water, ranging from lowlands to above sea level in the Ethiopian Highlands, being absent mainly from dense forests and deserts. While not breeding, it disperses somewhat, sometimes making longer migrations northwards into the arid regions of the Sahel, and occasionally even reaching the North African nations of Algeria and Tunisia, which historically were a more regular part of its range.
It also occurred naturally in southeastern Europe (up to the lower Danube Valley and southern Hungary) until the early 1700s, and in parts of Turkey and the western Middle East until the early 1900s (where since re-established through escaped captives), but its historical ranges in these places is incompletely known and the reason for the disappearances is also unknown.
Introduced populations
United Kingdom
The British populations of the Egptian goose date back to the 17th century when it was introduced to estates and parks, though the species was only formally added to the British bird list in 1971. The British introductions were the first outside its native range; however, these did not spread widely and are not known to have expanded into other countries. In Great Britain, it is found mainly in East Anglia, and in various locations along the River Thames, where it breeds at sites with open water, short grass and suitable nesting locations (either islands, holes in old trees or amongst epicormic shoots on old trees). During the winter, they are widely dispersed within river valleys, where they feed on short grass and cereals. In the United Kingdom in 2009, it was officially declared a non-native species. Accordingly, Egyptian geese in Great Britain may be shot without special permission if they cause problems.
Mainland Europe
The Egyptian goose was first introduced to the Netherlands in 1967 and to Belgium in 1982, and these formed the basis for the population in mainland Europe, likely supplemented by some captive escapees from other European countries. From these two countries, the species has experienced a relatively fast range expansion into adjacent countries, first spreading into Germany and France (where possibly supplemented by local escapees) in the mid-1980s, and then to the Czech Republic, Denmark, Luxembourg and Switzerland in the early 2000s. Further observations, sometimes also involving isolated cases of breeding, have been made in Austria, Italy, Poland, Spain, Sweden and elsewhere in mainland Europe, but it is (as of 2020) not yet known to have become established in those countries.
Because of its aggressiveness towards other birds, it may reduce or displace native species, and since 2017 the Egyptian goose has been listed as an invasive species in the European Union. This implies that this species cannot be imported, bred, transported, commercialized, used, exchanged or intentionally released into the environment and member states are obliged to try to eradicate the species.
Elsewhere
In addition to Europe, the Egyptian goose has been introduced and established breeding populations in Mauritius, Israel (historically a natural part of its range, see Distribution), the United Arab Emirates and the United States. In the US, breeding populations are known from Arkansas, California, Florida, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas, with occasional reports of the species elsewhere. Although the Egyptian goose was introduced to Australia and New Zealand, it did not become established in these countries.
Behaviour
This is a largely terrestrial species, which will also perch readily on trees and buildings. Egyptian geese typically eat seeds, leaves, grasses and plant stems. Occasionally, they will eat locusts, worms, or other small animals. Until the goslings are a few weeks old and strong enough to graze, they feed largely on small aquatic invertebrates, especially freshwater plankton. As a result, if anoxic conditions lead to the production of botulinum toxin and it gets passed up the food chain via worms and insect larvae insensitive to the toxin, entire clutches of goslings feeding on such prey may die. The parents, who do not eat such organisms to any significant extent, generally remain unaffected.
Both sexes are aggressively territorial towards their own species when breeding and frequently pursue intruders into the air, attacking them in aerial "dogfights". Egyptian geese have been observed attacking aerial objects such as drones that enter their habitat as well. Neighbouring pairs may even kill another's offspring for their own offsprings' survival, as well as for more resources.
This species will nest in a large variety of situations, especially in holes in mature trees in parkland. The female builds the nest from reeds, leaves and grass and both parents take turns incubating the eggs. Egyptian geese usually pair for life. Both the male and female care for the offspring until they are old enough to care for themselves. Such parental care, however, does not include foraging for the young, who, being precocial, forage for themselves.
In their native range, predators of Egyptian geese include leopards, lions, cheetahs, hyenas, crocodiles and Old World vultures.
Gallery
References
External links
Egyptian Goose information from Birds of Britain
Egyptian Goose photos from Go Birding
Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds
Egyptian goose
Egyptian goose
Birds of Africa
Egyptian goose
Egyptian goose