Free Teacher Resources

Abyssinian Blue-Winged Goose

Cyanochen cyanoptera

A brown goose with powder-blue wing patches that lives only in the highlands of Ethiopia and whistles instead of honking.

🦆 Waterfowl
Checking teacher reviews…
Teacher? Sign in to review this page →Report a mistake

About the Abyssinian Blue-Winged Goose

Abyssinian blue-winged geese stand about 24 to 30 inches tall and weigh about 3.3 pounds. They are brown, lighter on the head and chest, with powder-blue patches on the wings. They live along highland rivers, lakes, marshes and streams with short grassy meadows nearby, and they mostly graze on grasses and sedges, plus worms, insects and snails.[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name
Cyanochen cyanoptera[1]
Size
About 24 to 30 inches tall.[1]
Weight
About 3.3 pounds.[1]
Diet
Mostly grasses and sedges, plus worms, insects, snails and small reptiles.[1]
Habitat
Banks of highland rivers, lakes, marshes and streams with short grass.[1]
Where it lives
The highlands of Ethiopia.[1]
Babies
4 to 7 eggs, incubated 30 to 35 days.[1]
Conservation status
Near Threatened (IUCN Red List, assessed 2021).[2]

Fun facts

  • Abyssinia is the old name for Ethiopia.[1]
  • These geese whistle softly instead of honking.[1]
  • Their closest relative is believed to be the Andean goose.[1]

Vocabulary

endemic
Found naturally in only one place in the world.
highlands
High, mountainous land.
sedge
A grass-like plant that grows in wet places.
courtship
Behavior animals use to attract a mate.
near threatened
A conservation label meaning a species may soon be at risk of dying out if things don't improve.

See it in person

Sources

  1. [1] SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. “Abyssinian Blue-Winged Goose.” https://seaworld.org/animals/facts/birds/abyssinian-blue-winged-goose/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
  2. [2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Cyanochen cyanoptera (Blue-winged Goose).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22679961/208106800 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

More Waterfowl

A male blue-winged teal with a gray-blue head and white face crescent standing on straw.Blue-Winged TealSpatula discorsA small dabbling duck that flies from North America as far as South America each fall, flashing a powder-blue wing patch.Cape TealAnas capensisA small, speckled gray African duck with a pink bill that can dive and swim underwater with its wings folded.An Egyptian goose with a dark brown eye patch and pink legs walking on grass.Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiacaA brown African waterbird with dark eye patches that grazes near rivers and lakes and has spread to parts of Europe.A pair of ringed teals standing on a log above the water.Ringed TealCallonetta leucophrysOne of the world's smallest ducks, a tree-perching duck of South American wetlands that nests in tree holes.A male ruddy duck with a bright blue bill and white cheeks swimming.Ruddy DuckOxyura jamaicensisA small diving duck of the Americas with a bright blue bill, whose males drum their bills to make bubbles when courting.A gray southern screamer with a black ring around its neck standing in tall dry grass.Southern ScreamerChauna torquataA South American wetland bird, also called the crested screamer, whose call carries up to 3 km and whose wings have sharp spurs.Spur-Winged GoosePlectropterus gambensisAfrica's largest waterfowl, a black-and-white goose with a sharp spur on each wing and a diet that can make it poisonous.A swan goose with a long two-toned neck and a black bill walking near water.Swan GooseAnser cygnoidesAn endangered long-necked goose of eastern Asia that migrates thousands of kilometers and is the ancestor of the Chinese domestic goose.White-Faced Whistling DuckDendrocygna viduataA long-necked duck of Africa and South America with a white face that whistles instead of quacking and often perches in trees.