The Flickr Southerncaliforniagoose Image Generatr

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 extant member of the genus Alopochen. mtDNA cytochrome b sequence data suggest that the relationships of Alopochen to Tadorna need further investigation (Sraml et al. 1996).

Two or three species of Alopochen from the Madagascar region have become extinct in the last 1000 years or so:
Mauritian Shelduck, Alopochen mauritianus - Mauritius, late 1690s
Malagasy Shelduck or Madagascar Shelduck, Alopochen sirabensis (may be subspecies of A. mauritianus) - Madagascar, prehistoric: see Late Quaternary prehistoric birds
Réunion Shelduck or Kervazo's Egyptian Goose, Alopochen kervazoi - Réunion, c.1690s

This 63–73 cm long species 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. It has also been introduced elsewhere: Great Britain, the Netherlands and Germany have self-sustaining feral populations, the British population dating back to the 18th century, though only formally added to the British list in 1971. In Britain, it is found mainly in East Anglia, in parkland with lakes. It was officially declared a pest in the UK in 2009.
Balboa lake. Los Angeles. California.

Mama goose have some ducklings next to her gosling.

The Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) is a wild goose with a black head and neck, white patches on the face, and a brownish-gray body. Native to arctic and temperate regions of North America, it is occasionally found in northern Europe, and has been introduced to other temperate regions.

The black head and neck with a white "chinstrap" distinguish the Canada Goose from all other goose species, with the exception of the Barnacle Goose, but the latter has a black breast, and also grey, rather than brownish, body plumage. There are seven subspecies of this bird, of varying sizes and plumage details, but all are recognizable as Canada Geese. Some of the smaller races can be hard to distinguish from the Cackling Goose.

This species ranges from 75 to 110 cm (30 to 43 in) in length and has a 127–185 cm (50–73 in) wingspan.The male usually weighs 3.2–6.5 kg (7.1–14 lb), and can be very aggressive in defending territory. The female looks virtually identical but is slightly lighter at 2.5–5.5 kg (5.5–12 lb), generally 10% smaller than its male counterpart, and has a different honk. An exceptionally large male of the race B. c. maxima, the "Giant Canada Goose" (which rarely exceed 8 kilograms (18 lb)), weighed 10.9 kilograms (24 lb) and had a wingspan of 2.24 metres (7.3 ft). This specimen is the largest wild goose ever recorded of any species. The life span in the wild of geese that survive to adulthood ranges 10–24 years.

Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens. Los Angeles. California.

Canada geese use both body language and honking sounds to communicate with each other. Ten different sounds have been identified.


Since the adults are large and able to defend themselves, they don't have many natural enemies. The goslings are another story. Snapping turtles, owls, and hawks find the goslings make for good eating. Raccoons and bears will hunt for nests and make a meal of unhatched eggs.


These geese mate for life and are very devoted to each other. If one is injured the other will stay by its side, even if the flock flies to another destination. It's not known for certain if when a goose loses his mate he picks another mate.


Because of the large population of geese they will sometimes invade public places such as parks and golf courses to find food and shelter.


Canada goose. Los Angeles.California.

Canada geese use both body language and honking sounds to communicate with each other. Ten different sounds have been identified.


Since the adults are large and able to defend themselves, they don't have many natural enemies. The goslings are another story. Snapping turtles, owls, and hawks find the goslings make for good eating. Raccoons and bears will hunt for nests and make a meal of unhatched eggs.


These geese mate for life and are very devoted to each other. If one is injured the other will stay by its side, even if the flock flies to another destination. It's not known for certain if when a goose loses his mate he picks another mate.


Because of the large population of geese they will sometimes invade public places such as parks and golf courses to find food and shelter.


Canada goose. Los Angeles.California.