The Egyptian goose has a natural range across most of Africa and Southern Europe. It has light brown and grey feathering, dark brown eye patches and white patches of the wings. In the UK and the rest of Western Europe it was introduced to lakes and ponds as an ornamental bird, but have now grown in numbers and produced a wild population.

Females lay around 10 creamy brown eggs per year. It is often difficult to tell whether a bird is male or female, the only obvious difference is in their sound. The males produce a raspy hiss, and the females cackle. They forage for a variety of different grasses and plants and will eat small insects. Because of its large range, there are good population numbers of this breed.

They have quiet temperaments, although the males can be aggressive in the mating season. They also have an elaborate courtship display, where the males make loud honking noises. Mature birds weigh between 1.5 – 2.3 kg.