Want information on Egyptian Geese? Read ahead to find out the characteristics of the Egyptian Goose…
The Egyptian goose and Ibis were considered sacred by the ancient Egyptians and for this purpose were domesticated and also featured in the hieroglyphics from those times. This bird is called Mmisri bata bakini in the Swahili language and is sometimes foul tempered.
Found close to water bodies and mostly in land areas, the Egyptian geese are known to feed on grass and herbs when in the wild. However, when food resources dwindle in the dry summer months they are forced to look elsewhere for food. This often leads them to cultivated land areas and they begin to feed on plantations thereby causing severe damage to food crops.
Physical Characteristics of the Egyptian Goose
These beautiful geese have a large size and an interesting patch of Chestnut color feathers which surround their yellow eyes and make them look like they are wearing spectacles. The upper part of the body has a color spectrum of grayish brown or reddish brown in different Egyptian geese. The tails of the geese are black whereas the feet and legs, along with the bills are pink in color. Both the genders are similar in terms of their evident physical characteristics but the females are comparatively smaller in size.
Propagation And Nature Of The Egyptian Goose
The female goose makes cackling sounds while the male hisses. These birds populate the Nile Valley as well as the African country all the way south of the equator and have often been spotted in isolated areas of the southern and eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. They’re quite aggressive and become very vicious during the mating season. These birds are extremely territorial and can indulge in fights with other birds who try to invade the territory during breeding season. They’re considered the most aggressive birds and are good swimmers and divers.
Parenting the Young and Breeding Characteristics of the Egyptian Geese
These foul tempered and aggressive waterfowl are excellent when it comes to parenting their young and make strong bonds with the opposite gender. Unlike other geese the Egyptian geese utilize different sites for nesting. You can see them using those nests which have been abandoned by different species of birds and are perched high on top of trees at a good vantage point and safe location. Apart from this the geese utilize old buildings as well as ledges on sharp cliffs to build their nest. This is in stark contrast to those Egyptian geese which prefer to build their nest on the ground and in abandoned burrows. For those who have been nested high up in the trees or other high altitude areas, they keep cackling and hissing at their hatchlings till the young chicks are brave enough to step out of the nest and come down. It takes approximately 28 days for the female Egyptian goose to incubate an egg clutch which ranges from 5 to 8 eggs in each breeding season.
