What sort of duck is this

[nao57]

Egyptian geese are actually ducks and can cross with mallards/domestic ducks.

http://www.gobirding.eu/Photos/EgyptianGoosexMallard.php

What?!

Really?

Then does that mean you could raise these and have a duck that can eat grass and basically pay almost nothing for its food?

I guess that would depend on if it had inherited the geese ability to survive and eat mostly grass. (?)

 

[megan85]

Agreed

My daughter googled photos of ducklings and she couldn’t find a match so she google goslings and she thought it maybe one. It’s beak is very duck like though not really narrow at the tip like a gosling. We have had it 4 weeks this Saturday it is now getting feathers on its back they are black and brown feathers

 

[MysteryChicken]

My daughter googled photos of ducklings and she couldn’t find a match so she google goslings and she thought it maybe one. It’s beak is very duck like though not really narrow at the tip like a gosling. We have had it 4 weeks this Saturday it is now getting feathers on its back they are black and brown feathers

Look up Egyptian goose?

 

[TomCahalan]

Just a little curious why you say they're a duck.

Imagine a waterfowl family tree, with each species being a person. The 1st cousins of egyptian geese are the shelducks. Mallard ducks are more distant cousins, but closer than geese.

This happened all the time when it comes to animal names. People naming different kinds of animals did the best that they could. They didn't have access to genetic data like we do now. For example, just look at the mountain lion. It is not a lion. Real lions are more related to tigers than they are to mountain lions.

For a more extreme example, compare the red panda (a small reddish creature, somewhat related to raccoons) with the giant panda (a black and white bear). When scientists discovered the giant panda, they assumed that it was closely related to the red panda, hence its name. Even 15 years ago people thought that red pandas were bears.

 

[TomCahalan]

Then does that mean you could raise these and have a duck that can eat grass and basically pay almost nothing for its food?

I guess that would depend on if it had inherited the geese ability to survive and eat mostly grass. (?)

Egyptian geese are not geese, so they did not inherit anything from geese. They are a different species of duck, similar to how mallards and muscovies are different species of duck.

 

[Magnolia Ducks]

Imagine a waterfowl family tree, with each species being a person. The 1st cousins of egyptian geese are the shelducks. Mallard ducks are more distant cousins, but closer than geese.

This happened all the time when it comes to animal names. People naming different kinds of animals did the best that they could. They didn't have access to genetic data like we do now. For example, just look at the mountain lion. It is not a lion. Real lions are more related to tigers than they are to mountain lions.

For a more extreme example, compare the red panda (a small reddish creature, somewhat related to raccoons) with the giant panda (a black and white bear). When scientists discovered the giant panda, they assumed that it was closely related to the red panda, hence its name. Even 15 years ago people thought that red pandas were bears.

This is interesting. They sure are pretty. OP, keep the pictures coming I am intrigued by your little goose that's a duck.

 

[megan85]

This is interesting. They sure are pretty. OP, keep the pictures coming I am intrigued by your little goose that's a duck.

My little duck turned out to be an Australian shelduck not an Egyptian Goose

 

[YodaBat]

That's a goose.
JK IDK. Cutie though

 

[Magnolia Ducks]

My little duck turned out to be an Australian shelduck not an Egyptian Goose

Oh my gosh. Thanks for posting. That's a beautiful duck/drake. Are you in Oz? I would have never guessed this.

 

[Magnolia Ducks]

I looked them up and see this is a little drake.