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Spur-winged geese (Plectropterus gambensis) are large, Sub-Saharan African waterbirds. They are among the largest true African waterfowl (besides the wading Goliath heron) and are, on average, the world's largest "goose".
Adults of this species are 75-115 cm (30-45 in) long, and weigh an average of 4-6.8 kg (8.8-15 lb) (rarely up to 10 kg (22 lb)); ganders (males) are noticeably larger than the geese (females). Spur-winged geese are mainly black, with a white face and large white wing patches. Their long legs are pinkish-red in color. The male differs from the female, not only in size, but also in having a larger red facial patch extending back from the red bill, and a knob at the base of the upper mandible.
Spur-winged geese occur in Gambia to Ethiopia, south to Angola and the River Zambezi, and south of the Zambezi River in southern Africa from Namibia and Zimbabwe to the Cape Provinces. They prefer open grasslands with lakes, seasonal pools, rivers, swamps, and river deltas. Large inland rivers and lakes are perhaps most commonly inhabited, with saline lakes; they usually avoid upland areas, although they can occur at higher elevations in eastern Africa.
