Copyright © 2015 Jim Sizemore.
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I saw the bird pictured below two days ago at Fort McHenry, in Baltimore, Maryland. New to me, it must be way out of its normal range. If you know more about why it’s showing up around here, or in North America at all, please leave a comment below. Thanks.
(Click image to enlarge.)
Egyptian goose | |
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Conservation status | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Anseriformes |
Family: | Anatidae |
Subfamily: | Tadorninae |
Genus: | Alopochen |
Species: | A. aegyptiaca |
Binomial name | |
Alopochen aegyptiaca (Linnaeus, 1766) |
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Native range of A. aegyptiaca |
The Egyptian goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca) is a member of the duck, goose, and swan familyAnatidae. It is native to Africa south of the Sahara and the Nile Valley.
Egyptian geese were considered sacred by the Ancient Egyptians, and appeared in much of their artwork. They have been raised for food and extensively bred in parts of Africa since they were domesticated by the ancient Egyptians. Because of their popularity chiefly as ornamental bird, escapes are common and small feral populations have become established in Western Europe.[2][3]
Read more at Wikipedia.