Lightsaver

By Marginellaman

Fowl Play

I cycled past Connaught Water, in Chingford, northeast London, on my way home tonight, and got a photo of one of the oddest looking waterfowl birds I have ever seen. It looked like it was assembled from the spare parts of other birds. I couldn't decide if it was a large duck or a small goose and as it didn't strike me as being a native species, I suspected foul (fowl?) play. Later research revealed that my suspicions were well founded - another introduced species!
The Egyptian Goose (Alopochen aegyptiacus) is a member of the duck, goose and swan family Anatidae. It is in the shelduck subfamily Tadorninae, and is the only living member of the genus Alopochen. It breeds widely in Africa except in deserts and dense forests, and is locally abundant. They are found mostly in the Nile Valley and south of the Sahara. The British population dates back to the 18th century (that Empire thing again), and it is found in large numbers around lakes and in parkland in East Anglia. It was officially declared a pest in the UK in 2009. It swims well, and in flight looks heavy, more like a goose than a duck, hence the English name.
It also has bright pink feet!

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