A bar-headed goose, which was tagged in Mongolia in July 2014 has recently been spotted in Koonthankulam – Kadankulam Bird Sanctuary in Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu.
About Bar-headed goose:
- They are large pale grey birds which are considered one the world’s highest flying birds.
- They are known for their migration spanning distances of over 1,600 km in a day. They are also known for reaching extreme altitudes of 29,500 feet during their twice-yearly migrations across the Himalayas.
- Scientific name: Anser indicus
- Distribution: Native to central Asia, where the species breeds, they are found in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Kazakhstan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Japan and other nearby regions.
- Habitat: They breed around lakes and marshes on highland plateaus; winters in lowland wetlands and fields.
Features:
-
- This species is gray and white with two horseshoe-shaped, brownish-black bars on the back of its white head.
- The bill and legs are pink, orange, or yellow.
- IUCN Status: ‘Least Concern’