Bar-headed Goose

Bar-headed Goose (Anser indicus) is a highly migratory bird that breeds in central Asia and migrates to India and other parts of south Asia. It is the palest of all geese, and is easily recognizable by the black bars on the back of its head. It is found in most areas of India during the winters, with large flocks congregating around water bodies and fields. It is a mid-size goose weighing between 2 to 3 kg. The bird emits the typical goose honk in flight.

Bar-headed Geese, Surajpur Bird Sanctuary

The Bar-headed Goose is famous as it is known to make the highest altitude migration in the world. They are known to fly over the Himalayas instead of only using lower mountain passes that other migratory species use. It is even reported to be seen flying over Mount Everest, though various studies place their maximum elevation during flight at 21,000 feet. This is still not a mean feat, and humans at that altitude would get violently sick or even die.

Bar-headed geese race to take off at Tal Chappar Wildlife Sanctuary

Bar-headed geese in flight near Tal Chappar Wildlife Sanctuary

Bar-headed Geese in flight over Basai wetlands

Bar-headed geese near Tal Chappar Wildlife Sanctuary

It is now understood that the bird has developed unique characteristics to enable it to fly in such rarified atmosphere where the low density of air requires more wing-beats using more energy despite the presence of low levels of oxygen. The physiology of the bird supports it to achieve this extraordinary action, including the hemoglobin of its blood having higher affinity to absorb oxygen than other geese. These birds also have a larger wing area for their weight allowing it greater lift.  These birds are known to make their migratory journey of more than a 1500 km in one day.

Bar-headed Geese near Tal Chappar Wildlife Sanctuary

A pair of Bar-headed Geese, Tal Chappar Wildlife Sanctuary

A flock of Bar-headed Geese, Keoladeo Bird Sanctuary

The bar-headed goose has the status of “least concern” in the IUCN category. The global population of this bird is on the rise. However, this bird is very susceptible to avian influenza and also suffers a number of natural predators. They feed on their favorite crops which include wheat, barley and rice.

A pair in flight over Keoladeo Bird Sanctuary, Bharatpur

Bar-headed Goose, Keoladeo Bird Sanctuary, Bharatpur

I have photographed these birds at most water bodies that I visit during the winters. I have even sighted a huge flock of a thousand or more birds at the Basai wetlands outside Gurgaon near Delhi, and slightly smaller flocks in Surajpur wetlands in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh as well as the Keoladeo Bird Sanctuary, Bharatpur.  I have often seen large flocks of bar-headed geese flying overhead during my drives out to the countryside.

A flock in flight, Keoladeo Bird Sanctuary, Bharatpur

Flying over the Yamuna at Okhla Bird Sanctuary

The Bar-headed Goose rightly earns its reputation as a ‘superbird’ through its epithet ‘the bird that flies over the Himalayas’ and continues to intrigue scientists and researchers through its extraordinary physiology and unique morphology.

Roosting at the Keoladeo Bird Sanctuary, Bharatpur

A flock of bar-headed geese near Tal Chappar Wildlife Sanctuary

Bar-headed geese landing near Tal Chappar Wildlife Sanctuary