Egyptian Geese

Alopochen aegyptiacus

"Lily"

As the name implies, this bird is native to Africa. The finely pencilled lines on Lily's feathers are among the most delicate markings I've ever seen on a bird. I'll try to get a good image of these markings on here in the near future. And, finally, here they are.

These geese are native to Africa, south of the Sahara, and throughout the Nile Valley. Both sexes look alike; the females are slightly smaller, but not enough for readily identifying their sex. Sexing is done easily by ear, however: only the ganders hiss, while the females make a loud cackling call. Although they swim well, Egyptian geese spend most of their time on land.

Although easy to maintain in captivity they are usually quite quarrelsome and a mated pair will often drive off all other waterfowl and break every egg they find that is not theirs. Therefore, they should not be kept in a mixed group of fowl unless in a very large enclosure. I keep only the one female. This way I get to enjoy having the visual of an Egyptian in my mixed flock, without the problems I'd have if I had a mated pair.