A large, mostly light brown goose-like duck, which is very common in South Africa. Size 63 - 73cm - quite a bit larger than a guineafowl.  Afrikaans: Kolgans

The Egyptian Goose has a light reddish-brown mantle and inner wings; the upper-wing coverts are white with a narrow black band across the last row of coverts creating a black wing bar. The primaries and tail are black, and the secondaries are metallic green. The head and neck are greyish-brown, shading to buffy on the breast and greyish on the flanks. There is a distinctive large reddish-brown patch around the eye- and another brown patch in the centre of the breast. The bill is pink with brown edges and a black tip, and the legs and feet are pinkish red.

The Egyptian Goose is common and widespread on small dams and ponds, and is often seen some distance away from water, sometimes in large numbers. It has adapted well to urban areas, nesting on buildings and frequenting school grounds, parks and golf courses. This species often feeds away from water - grazing on lawns, golf greens and also in agricultural lands where it can become a major pest.

The diet includes a variety of vegetable food, including grass, seeds, crop seedlings and aquatic plants.This species makes a harsh hissing sound as well as a raucous ka-ka- ka-ka- ka-ka- ka...

The Egyptian Goose nests in a grass-lined hollow placed in dense vegetation; holes in cliffs; tops of Hamerkop- or other old nest, holes in trees, or on buildings. It breeds throughout the year, with a peak from August to September.