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An Egyptian goose with a dark brown eye patch and pink legs walking on grass.
Photo: Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Egyptian Goose

Alopochen aegyptiaca

A brown African waterbird with dark eye patches that grazes near rivers and lakes and has spread to parts of Europe.

🦆 Waterfowl
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About the Egyptian Goose

Egyptian geese live in Africa, especially south of the Sahara and along the Nile Valley. They spend most of their time around rivers, lakes, ponds and wetlands, and they also graze in meadows and farm fields. You can recognize one by the dark brown patch around each eye and another brown patch in the middle of its chest. They stay together in small flocks all year, mainly for protection.[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name
Alopochen aegyptiaca[1]
Size
63 to 73 cm (about 25 to 29 inches) tall. Females are smaller than males.[1]
Weight
1.5 to 2.3 kg (about 3.3 to 5 pounds).[1]
Lifespan
One Egyptian goose in captivity lived to 14 years.[1]
Diet
Mainly herbivore. Young grass, grains and soft leaves, plus some insects, worms and frogs.[1]
Habitat
Rivers, streams, lakes, ponds and wetlands, plus nearby meadows, grasslands and farm fields.[1]
Where it lives
Africa, especially south of the Sahara and in the Nile Valley. Introduced to Great Britain and spreading in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.[1]
Group life
Small flocks that stay together all year.[1]
Babies
5 to 12 eggs, incubated for 28 to 30 days. Young fledge at about 70 days.[1]
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2018).[2]

Fun facts

  • Male Egyptian geese make a raspy hiss, while females make a cackling sound.[1]
  • Egyptian geese have been found living as high as 4,000 meters (about 13,000 feet) above sea level.[1]
  • People brought Egyptian geese to Great Britain in the 1700s, and they still live there today.[1]

Vocabulary

waterfowl
Birds such as ducks, geese and swans that live on or near water.
flock
A group of birds that live, travel or feed together.
fledge
When a young bird grows its flight feathers and is ready to fly.
introduced
Brought by people to a place where a species did not live before.
herbivore
An animal that eats only or mostly plants.

See it in person

Sources

  1. [1] Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. “Alopochen aegyptiaca (Egyptian goose).” https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Alopochen_aegyptiaca/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
  2. [2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Alopochen aegyptiaca (Egyptian Goose).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22679993/131910647 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

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