Eye-catching Egyptian goose captured by photographer at nature reserve near West Sussex village

Bill Thornton from Warnham said he captured the image of the exotic-looking bird at Warnham Nature Reserve recently.

He said: “An Egyptian Goose looks down to land on the pond, at Warnham Nature Reserve.”

The Wildlife Trusts said Egyptian geese were introduced to Britain from Africa and are now widespread in southern England. Their webpage about the bird said: “Egyptian geese aren’t true geese, they’re members of the shelduck sub-family, Tadorninae. They are naturally found in Africa, in the Nile valley and south of the Sahara. They were introduced to Great Britain to be kept in wildfowl collections. Since then birds have escaped and established populations in the wild. They’ve also become established in other parts of Europe, the United Arab Emirates, and even the USA.

“Egyptian geese are found on a variety of wetlands, including gravel pits, as well as in large urban parks.”