The Egyptian Goose (Alopochen aegyptiacus) – with distinctive chestnut eye patches surrounding its yellow eyes, and a brown chest patch – is not really a goose, but is actually a Shelduck. It is a cross between a goose and a duck. It has many duck-like characteristics, but it also has some external goose-like traits. It is the most widespread of all the African waterfowl. These old-world shelducks were domesticated by the ancient Egyptians, who considered them to be sacred. The Romans and the Greeks also kept Egyptian Geese in domestic flocks. Egyptian Geese are mainly found south of the Sahara in Africa, along the Nile River Valley, and in southern Israel. They were introduced into England in the 1700s, and some feral birds can be found in the United States. They are usually found inland, close to wet areas, and can sometimes be found on the open plains.
