Spur-winged Goose Plectropterus gambensis

The Spur-winged Goose is the world's largest goose and is native to sub-Saharan Africa. It has 2cm bony spurs on its wings for defending territory and fighting.

Shown above is the Black Spur-winged Goose, the subspecies from southern Africa with little white on its chest and side and less white on its belly.

The Black Spur-winged Goose also has little black plumage, being largely dark brown and metallic dark green.

The male has more red/blue on its face than the female and has a raised bump at the base of the upper beak. The beak is closer to a swan's than to a typical goose beak.

Fortunately for the wild Spur-winged Goose, its meat is toxic because of the blister beetles in its natural diet.

Above is thought to be the "White" Spur-winged Goose, the larger of the two subspecies with more white plumage on its chest, belly and flank and prevalent north of the Zambesi River through to West Africa.