SPUR-WINGED GOOSE 



PLECTROPTERUS GAMBENSIS (Brisson) 

 (Plate 2) 



Synonymy 

 Anser gambensis Brisson, Ornithologie, vol. 6, p. 283, 1760. 

 Anas gambensis Linne, Systeina Naturse, ed. 12, vol. 1, p. 195, 1766. 

 Plectropterus gambensis Stephens, General Zoology, vol. 12, pt. 2, p. 7, pi. 36, 1824. 

 Plectropterus riippelli Sclater, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1859, p. 132, pi. 153, fig. 1. 

 Plectropterus scioanus Salvadori, Ann. Mus. Civ. Storia Nat. Genova, ser. 2, vol. 1, 

 p. 239, 1884. 



Vebnacular Names 

 English: Kaffir: 



Spur-winged Goose Esikwi 



Gambo Goose Basuto: 



French: Letsikhin 



Plectroptere de Gambie Angola: 



German: Janda 



Sporengans East Africa: 



Dutch: Bata mkuba. 



Wilde Macaauw 1 . Arabic: 



,„. > South Alrica 



Maccoa J Abu qadum 



Spanish: Wuz abu qaru 



Pato ferrao. Hitt 



Bechuana: 



Peele peele 



DESCRIPTION 



Adult Male: General color black with coppery red and green reflections; sides of head, throat, 

 lower part of the neck, breast and abdomen, thighs and under tail-coverts, some of the lesser wing- 

 coverts and edge and angle of the wing, white; a stout, sharp, pointed carpal spur at the bend of the 

 wing. 



Iris hazel; bill, including the bare skin at the top of the head and the frontal knob, red; nail of the 

 bill whitish; bare skin around the eye and on the sides of the face gray; feet flesh-colored. 



Length about 800 to 1000 mm.; wing 410 to 540; tail 170 to 210; bill 60 to 80; tarsus 90 to 120. 



Weight about 12 pounds (5.4 kilograms) ; has been obtained up to 15 pounds (6.8 kilograms) (Stark 

 and Sclater, 1906; A. Chapman, 1921). 



