Bar-headed Goose

Overview

The bar-headed goose is a mid-sized goose that breeds in high-altitude lakes in Central Asia and winters in South Asia. It is renowned for its extreme flight altitudes when crossing the Himalayas.

Identification

• Pale grey plumage, distinctly paler than other geese in the genus Anser.
• White head marked by black bars, making it easily distinguishable.
• Measures 71–76 cm in length and weighs 1.87–3.2 kg.
• Produces a typical goose honking call in flight.

Habitat

Breeds in colonies near high-altitude mountain lakes across the Tibetan Plateau, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and Russia. Winters in cultivated fields across South Asia, from Assam to peninsular India. Migrates over the Himalayas, often utilising lower-altitude valleys and passes rather than the highest peaks.

Diet

Grazes on short grass in summer habitats. Feeds on cultivated crops such as barley, rice, and wheat during winter, which may cause damage to farmland.

Did you know?

Despite predictable tail winds during the Himalayan crossing, the birds deliberately wait for these winds to die down at night to undertake the greatest rates of climbing flight ever recorded for a bird.