Invasive Species: Egyptian Goose

          The Egyptian Goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca) is more commonly found round waterholes in the Savannah of Africa. Related to the Shelduck its a fairly common Goose. To see it around the average park pond is becoming an increasingly common phenomenon, however how did they get there and where did they come from. Many people used to have them as a decorative bird for collections. As time has passed these collections have either escaped or been released by the collector. This has allowed the Egyptian Goose to colonise Britain. It was mostly confined to East Anglia because of the amount of wetlands in this part of the country. But in the last few years the Goose has begun to spread out and can now be found in London, Kent and Sussex. These are not the only species to of escaped, there are many more lurking out in the UK.
           It is not the most striking of birds, it is mostly brown with a very distinctive eye patch. One of the main behavioral traits of this invader, is its territorial attitude. Once a suitable pond is found, you should only ever find two geese, a male and his mate. According to the RSPB over 1,000 pairs now nest and reproduce in the UK, and because of this the Egyptian Goose is now recognised as a species that resides in the UK. Whether it is native or not is still debated. They will guard this body of water from any other Egyptian goose and sometimes other birds as well. It can be a problem for more native, passive species.
           There are some positives to having this invader around. For many people there will not really be a chance to see the goose in its native environment. If you want to have a taste of Africa then this goose is perfect for you and in the UK the chance is becoming very high. Another positive can be found in the goose feeding behavior. It is usually a land feeder, cropping plants such as grasses and flowers as it goes. It will also ingest the seeds and as it wanders over the land it is spreading the seeds by defecating out the seeds as it walks over the land. This helps many native plants to colonise new areas for growth.

              These photos were taken in Hampden Park, however in recent weeks it seems the geese have moved on, whether or not they just wintered in the UK and have flown south now back to the native environment we shall never know. They is not evidence that these geese are causing damage to the local environment like so many other introduced species. They have successfully bred and look like they are here to stay. If you come across any on your travels then let me know because I would be interested to know how far they have managed to colonise.