Egyptian geese - an introduced species

Egyptian geese (Alopochen aegyptiaca) are relatively small geese and weigh around 1.5 - 2.5kg. They are a non-native species, brought to Europe from their natural range in Africa as an ornamental species. Escapes and releases have led to established populations in Holland, Belgium, France and England. They can be found year-round in much of East Anglia and some other areas, and along parts of the south coast in winter. Farmland, grassland and wetland are all suitable habitats for Egyptian geese. Outside of the breeding season Egyptian geese are gregarious, but remain near their partner within the group. There are an estimated 1100 breeding pairs in the UK, and 3400 overwintering birds. 


A male Egyptian goose (credit: Tristram Brelstaff, under creative commons license)


Both sexes have distinctive markings, with dark-brown eye patches and a bright streak of white on the wings. Though this species is not sexually dimorphic in its plumage, the call repertoire of the sexes differ. The calls of the Egyptian goose are fairly complex in both sexes - eight call types have been identified: loud, honk, short honk, hiss, soft, short soft, flight and noisy. In females, the loud, honk and soft honk calls are most prevalent, whereas the hiss, honk and soft honk are the most used by males. Honking is thought to be a territorial call, as unchallenged bouts of honking last significantly longer than challenged. 

An Egyptian goose paddling on the River Bure, Norfolk

The nesting habits of Egyptian geese are variable, but they may lay their eggs in the nests of other birds, in a depression in vegetation, in tree cavities or in burrows in embankments. Eggs are incubated for around a month before hatching. Chicks are precocial, meaning they forage for themselves, but both parents protect the chicks until they are more mature. When they are very young, chicks eat mostly small freshwater invertebrates. Older chicks and adults typically graze on aquatic plants, grasses, other terrestrial plant shoots as well as some invertebrates like worms. 

The global population of Alopochen aegyptiaca is slightly decreasing but still very large, and its distribution is wide, covering a large area in Africa and other areas where it has been introduced. This means that its global conservation status is least concern. Despite being introduced, Egyptian geese are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, but can be shot under a license. 



http://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/egyptian-goose-alopochen-aegyptiaca/text
https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/egyptian-goose/

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