Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiaca
A scarce feral resident.
Family of Egyptian Geese at Tattershall on 18th May 2016; photo courtesy of Russell Hayes.
Lorand and Atkin (1989) noted that Egyptian Geese had been kept in captivity in England since the eighteenth century, and has existed in a feral state for over 100 years. One was shot by a farmer at North Cotes in c.1880 but records thereafter are scanty and it was not until much later that records began appearing regularly in the annual reports. A flock of six were at Gibraltar Point August 13th-October 6th, 1973, and presumably the same flock later at Mablethorpe October 14th, and at Donna Nook November 17th. Three were at Gibraltar Point October 20th, 1974 and five were at Witham Mouth, October 30th, 1976. Up to nine birds were recorded annually after 1977 although their origins were often suspect, e.g. one was thought to have been released at North Somercotes Lido, being present January 7th-February 14th and again March 2nd and December 28th, 1981; it was still present in January 1982. A pair 'arrived' at Grimsthorpe Park May 18th, 1980, surviving into 1985, nesting on at least one occasion.
The population in the south-west increased very slowly and the bulk of the county population is now concentrated in the Woodhall Spa Airfield/Tattershall/Kirkby on Bain area. There have been recent increases with a spread of records, including breeding, more widely across the county and the breeding population is probably of the order of 25 pairs at least. The largest counts tend to be in late summer when peak counts across the county can be over 60 birds. There is also some evidence of short-distance movements into the county from neighbouring areas, with a first-year female, ringed on June 7th, 2001, at Pittance Park, Edwinstowe (Notts) seen alive (ring read in field) on April 14th, 2002, in the Lincoln area (31km ENE). Records tend to be received from around 35 sites each year indicating birds move about quite a bit, especially in winter.
(Account as per new Birds of Lincolnshire (2021), included September 2022)