Fun Egyptian Goose Facts For Kids

The Egyptian goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca) belongs to the Anatidae family of geese, ducks, and swans. It is native to the Sahara and the Nile Valley.

The Egyptian goose was considered sacred by the ancient Egyptians and they appear in much of their artwork. This species is popular as an environmental bird and was introduced to the United States, Europe, and New Zealand.

The Egyptian goose is a good swimmer and can look heavy while flying; therefore it was named goose but it is, in fact, a duck. The female and male have similar plumage and colors, though the males are a bit heavier. They are known as terrestrial birds and can be found perched on trees and buildings.

Both sexes are territorial and will aggressively protect their homes. They have distinctive eye patches around their pale eyes.

These breeding birds of Africa have pink legs, with gray and light brown plumage. We can see the white forewings when they are in flight.

The Egyptian geese population can be found in the form of small family groups or pairs. These breeding birds are social animals and are rarely seen alone.

They are known as the Nile Goose because of their origin in the Nile Valley. They are resident birds, but they may move out in search of water. They may eat algae and aquatic plants while foraging in shallow waters.

Here are some interesting facts about the Egyptian goose invasive species for your perusal. After reading about these Egyptian goose characteristics and distribution facts, do read our other articles on lesser goldfinch facts and least tern facts.

Egyptian Goose Interesting Facts

What type of animal is an Egyptian goose?

The Egyptian goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca) is a type of bird native to Africa. They are native to the Nile Valley and south of the Sahara in Africa.

What class of animal does an Egyptian goose belong to?

The Egyptian goose (Alopochen aegyptiacus) belongs to the class Aves of animals. This bird species lays eggs like other birds and was domesticated by ancient Egyptians.

How many Egyptian geese are there in the world?

The exact number of Egyptian geese (Alopochen aegyptiacus) across the world is difficult to calculate as their populations have adapted well to regions in Europe and the United States along with their native region of the Nile Valley south of the Sahara.

Even in these regions, their population has spread far and wide and can be found in varied habitats.

Where does an Egyptian goose live?

The Egyptian goose population is found in Africa throughout the continent. It was also introduced in Europe, the United States, and New Zealand, the population has adapted well.

It is found in southern Africa in abundance, especially below the Sahara and Nile Valley. It was introduced in Great Britain in the 18th century and is mainly found in East Anglia. It was introduced in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany thereafter.

In the United States, they have occasionally bred Egyptian geese in Florida, Texas, and California. It has also been introduced in the United Arab Emirates, Denmark, Austria, and East Asia.

What is an Egyptian goose's habitat?

An Egyptian goose's habitat consists of rivers, estuaries, lakes, tropical savanna, montane grasslands and shrublands, deserts and xeric shrublands, Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub. Except for a densely wooded area, they can be found in grasslands, meadows, farmlands near a river, stream, ponds, lakes, and wetlands like swamps and marshes.

Their populations have adapted well to high-altitude regions and colder climates as well. You can also locate this species in a zoo.

Who do Egyptian geese live with?

The Egyptian geese populations live in small family groups or pairs. They stay in small flocks to protect themselves from predators. The chicks are rarely found alone.

How long does an Egyptian goose live?

The life span of the Egyptian goose ranges between 15-25 years on average.

How do they reproduce?

The breeding season varies for the Egyptian geese and ranges between the end of spring and the end of the dry season. The males are said to be pretty aggressive during the mating period.

During these times, the males will perform a noisy and elaborate courtship display by making unusually loud honking sounds. They do so to attract females.

They are monogamous for most of their lives. The male and female will nest as a pair in dense vegetation, near hollow trees, or on the ground.

They breed in the spring or at the end of the dry season. The nest location for Egyptian geese is somewhere in the middle of the water body and grassland so that they are safe and food is easily available.

The nest is made out of feathers and soft stems and twigs of plants. This bird species uses nests deserted by larger birds too.

The males will fertilize the female internally and the female will lay up to 12 eggs. The incubation period is for 28-30 days and both the parents participate in the raising of the young chicks.

The young chicks can fledge in 70 days. The father will protect the eggs and chicks and the mother will guide them by keeping them close.

What is their conservation status?

The conservation status of the Egyptian geese is of Least Concern, according to the IUCN, as they have a stable population that is well protected. Their population is considered to spread across a wide region.

Egyptian Goose Fun Facts

What do Egyptian geese look like?

The Egyptian geese have long pink-colored legs, long necks, pink bills, and a distinctive brown eye patch on each eye. Similarly, this bird species has a recognizable brown patch in the middle of its chest. Their head and upper wings are brown, while the rest of the body is light brown or buff.

The underside of the wing is white or green. They have a large wingspan. It is difficult to differentiate between a male and a female as they have similar plumage.

How cute are they?

The Egyptian geese are a cute-looking family. They are found in small groups or pairs, like a family out for a trip.

How do they communicate?

The male Egyptian goose sound and Egyptian goose call seem like a raspy hiss-like sound and the females are known to produce a clicking sound. This is one of the features by which you can tell the male and female apart.

This bird species is not very vocal in normal circumstances, but they can make a lot of noise when they are stressed or aggressive. During courtship, the males will perform a noisy and elaborate display by making unusually loud honking sounds.

How big is an Egyptian goose?

The Egyptian goose is a medium-sized bird with a large wingspan. While flying, they look heavy and therefore are called geese instead of ducks.

How fast can an Egyptian goose fly?

The Egyptian geese can be seen flying together in a roughly made V formation or a long line. They do not fly much and prefer to walk away from danger as they have slow wing beats. It is not known how fast they fly.

How much does an Egyptian goose weigh?

The Egyptian goose's weight range on average is 2.2-8.8 lb (1-4 kg), putting them in the category of medium size birds.

What are the male and female names of the species?

The male Egyptian goose is called a gander and the female is called a goose. A group is called a gaggle, flock, wedge, or skein.

What would you call a baby Egyptian goose?

The baby Egyptian goose is called a gosling.

What do they eat?

The Diet of this species comprises young grass from a savanna or grassland, grains, especially wheat, and soft parts of the plant like the leaves. Black Egyptian geese and white Egyptian geese forage in pastures and on arable land.

Along the way, they may eat terrestrial worms, small insects, frogs, and such small animals present across their southern African habitat as part of their diet.

Are they dangerous?

Egyptian geese are not dangerous or aggressive creatures. They can forage and roam wide regions in search of water or food.

Would they make a good pet?

Egyptian goose goslings were introduced outside of their native land as ornamental birds and they have adapted well to these places. They can be added to your pond or lake as a pet.

Did you know...

The Romans and Greeks also had Egyptian geese in their flock.

The Egyptian goose is not a goose but a shelduck, which means it is a cross between a goose and a duck. It has features of both.  

The Egyptian goose is the most widespread African waterfowl.

When a gosling is born in a nest high up, it must muster up the courage to jump and fly to leave the nest. The parents support them from the ground by giving them encouraging calls.

They are territorial and are known to attack intruders while being airborne in what can be described as a dogfight.

Egyptian goose migration ensured their expansion into Denmark, the Netherlands, the UK, Italy, Belgium, and France.

What different types of nest sites do Egyptian geese use?

Some geese nest on the ground and some Egyptian geese nest in burrows, while other geese prefer using ledges on cliffs or old buildings. Some geese select abandoned and used nests of other birds, often high in the trees. They will nest in dense vegetation on the grounds too.

What is the symbolism of Egyptian geese?

Ancient Egyptian culture considered these geese sacred and they figured prominently in Ancient Egyptian art. Ibises were also considered sacred.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds including American wigeon fExceptacts, or Muscovy duck facts.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Egyptian goose coloring pages.