Egyptian Goose at Wakodahatchee Wetlands Florida

Today we left Florida...but just for good measure we revisited the Wakodahatchee Wetlands...my all time favorite place in Florida!!  There is so much to see, and so many knowledgeable people walking the boardwalks and trails.  You just look for a group of people and you are in for a treat...they've spotted something and everyone is sharing information about whatever it is!  

Today we saw some firsts...this Egyptian Goose was a new find for me.  There was also a 7 foot iguana that was hanging out, and we spotted several alligators sunning themselves.  The wood storks were plentiful, even though they are endangered.  Be sure to visit my flickr page.

Here is some background info on the goose...
            The Egyptian Goose 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.
Two of the most obvious field marks of the Egyptian Goose are the chestnut eye patches surrounding its yellow eyes, and a brown chest patch.  There is also a brown stripe that forms a collar around the nape of the neck.  There are two color forms of Egyptian Geese: some have gray-brown upper parts, and others are red-brown.  The Egyptian Goose is about 25-29” long. It has pink legs and feet. The bill is also pink, with a black tip and a dark base. The male has green secondaries, but a large portion of the adult wing is white. The white usually remains hidden when the bird is at rest, however, the white wing feathers can  be easily seen when the bird is in flight. The under tail coverts  are cinnamon colored:  the upper tail is black.  The sexes look alike, but the female is slightly smaller