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Photo: Charles J. Sharp · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source ↗
Spur-winged Goose
Wildemakou · Plectropterus gambensis
The largest goose in Africa, the Spur-winged Goose is a big black-and-white waterbird with a red face. Hidden on the bend of each wing is a sharp bony spur it can use to defend itself. It grazes on grass and water plants and flies in heavy, powerful flocks, often resting on sandbanks beside rivers.
Log your Spur-winged Goose sighting — free →How to identify it
Look for the large size, glossy black-and-white plumage, and bare reddish skin on the face.
Listen for its call
A thin, wheezy whistling 'cherwit' given mostly in flight.
Where to see it in Kruger
Look on sandbanks and grassy edges along the larger rivers and dams, such as the Olifants and Letaba.
Did you know
It hides a sharp bony 'spur' on each wing that it can use like a tiny sword to defend itself!
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