Blue-winged Goose

Blue-winged Goose

Cyanochen cyanoptera

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely
at Bale Mountains National Park
162 Verified sightings at Bale Mountains National Park From 2019 to 2026
163 Verified sightings across all 2 parks From 2019 to 2026
October Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Blue-winged Goose

The blue-winged goose (Cyanochen cyanoptera) is a waterfowl species which is endemic to Ethiopia. It is the only member of the genus Cyanochen. The relations of this species among the waterfowl was long unresolved. It is morphologically close to shelducks, and particularly the South American sheldgeese, which have similar courtship displays. However, mitochondrial DNA sequence analyses of the cytochrome b and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 genes indicates that it might belong to a very distinct and ancient "duck" clade, together with Hartlaub's duck, another African species of uncertain affinities. The wing pattern, a good morphological indicator of evolutionary relationships in waterfowl, is similar in these two species, and different to most other waterfowl (though shared by species in the genus Spatula). More recent genetic evidence has confirmed this clade, and further points to their belonging to a larger group of diving ducks, with their closest relatives being a clade containing marbled duck (Marmaronetta angustirostris), white-winged duck (Asarcornis scutulata), and the widespread genera Netta and Aythya; with these, they are next closest to Australian wood duck... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Bale Mountains National Park 🇪🇹 Ethiopia
~50%
2 Awash National Park 🇪🇹 Ethiopia
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Blue-winged Goose in Bale Mountains National Park?

About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Blue-winged Goose sighting in Bale Mountains National Park, based on 162 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Blue-winged Goose in Bale Mountains National Park?

October has the highest sighting rate for Blue-winged Goose in Bale Mountains National Park in our monthly data.

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