By: Sally Siko

One of the best parts about the pursuit of birding is the potential to see something new or unexpected.
Rare birds can turn up anywhere at anytime so there is always a chance to be surprised and delighted which is pretty darn cool!

Case in point, this pair of Egyptian Geese that showed up a few months ago at Lake Julian Park near Asheville, North Carolina.
They’ve been hanging out at this park for quite a while and I finally got around to looking for them last month.
When I arrived at the lake, I was a little worried that I wouldn’t be able to find them but that was not a problem at all.
Not only are they still there (yes according to eBird, rn!), but the birds are well acclimated to humans and as demonstrated by Isaac @isaacmcshanephoto , will even walk right up to you while looking for snack lol!

Egyptian Geese are normally found in South Africa and in European countries however, with their introduction to the domestic (ornamental) flocks of private collectors, small populations of these beautiful birds have spread throughout the United States. The highest concentrations of them are found in south Florida, California and southeastern Texas.
Though it’s likely that this pair are escapees from a yard or farm somewhere, they are still a countable species in the ABA area so I was stoked to add these feathered gems to my life list.

In addition to showing up in places far from home, Egyptian Geese hold another surprise.
Despite their name, Egyptian Geese are actually in the shelduck family which means that genetically speaking, they are a cross between a goose and a duck.
Pretty neat huh?

Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on my beloved full frame 50MP beast, the mighty @canonusa #5Ds