Bar-headed goose

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’