A large part of the wings of mature birds is white, but in repose the white is hidden by the wing coverts. There is a fair amount of variation in plumage tone, with some birds greyer and others browner, but this is not sex- or age-related. The sexes of this species are identical in plumage but the males average slightly larger. It swims well and in flight looks heavy, more like a goose than a duck, hence the English name. The species name aegyptiacus (or aegyptiaca) is from the Latin Aegyptiacus, "Egyptian". The word χήν : chēn is grammatically of either masculine or feminine gender.
The generic name Alopochen (literally, fox-goose) is based on Greek ἀλωπός ( alōpós, also ἀλώπηξ alōpēx), "fox", and χήν ( chēn) "goose", referring to the ruddy colour of its back. mtDNA cytochrome b sequence data suggest that the relationships of Alopochen to Tadorna need further investigation. It is the only extant member of the genus Alopochen, which also contains closely related prehistoric and recently extinct species. The Egyptian goose is believed to be most closely related to the shelducks (genus Tadorna) and their relatives, and is placed with them in the subfamily Tadorninae. Because of their popularity chiefly as an ornamental bird, escapees are common and feral populations have become established in Western Europe, the United States, and New Zealand. It is native to Africa south of the Sahara and the Nile Valley.Įgyptian geese were considered sacred by the Ancient Egyptians, and appeared in much of their artwork. The Egyptian goose ( Alopochen aegyptiaca) is a member of the duck, goose, and swan family Anatidae.
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