Ecology Bar-headed goose

at chilika lake.



on shore of magadi lake.

the summer habitat high-altitude lakes bird grazes on short grass. species has been reported migrating south tibet, kazakhstan, mongolia , russia before crossing himalaya. bird has come attention of medical science in recent years having been victim of h5n1 virus, hpai (highly pathogenic avian influenza), @ qinghai. suffers predation crows, foxes, ravens, sea eagles, gulls , others. total population may, however, increasing, complex assess population trends, species occurs on more 2,500,000 km (970,000 sq mi).

the bar-headed goose 1 of world s highest-flying birds, having been heard flying across mount makalu – fifth highest mountain on earth @ 8,481 m (27,825 ft) – , apparently seen on mount everest – 8,848 m (29,029 ft) – although second-hand report no verification. demanding migration has long puzzled physiologists , naturalists: there must explanation why birds fly extreme altitudes... particularly since there passes through himalaya @ lower altitudes, , used other migrating bird species. in fact, bar-headed geese had long time not been directly tracked (using gps or satellite logging technology) flying higher 6,540 metres (21,460 ft), , believed take high passes through mountains. challenging northward migration lowland india breed in summer on tibetan plateau undertaken in stages, flight across himalaya (from sea-level) being undertaken non-stop in little 7 hours. surprisingly, despite predictable tail winds blow himalayas (in same direction of travel geese), bar-headed geese spurn these winds, waiting them die down overnight, when undertake greatest rates of climbing flight ever recorded bird, , sustain these climbs rates hours on end, according research published in 2011.

swimming @ sylvan heights waterfowl park

the 2011 study found geese peaking @ altitude of around 6,400 m (21,000 ft). in 2012 study tagged 91 geese , tracked migration routes, determined geese spent 95% of time below 5,784 m (18,976 ft), choosing take longer route through himalayas in order utilize lower-altitude valleys , passes. 10 of tagged geese ever recorded above altitude, , 1 exceeded 6,500 m (21,300 ft), reaching 7,290 m (23,920 ft). 1 of these high-altitude flights recorded @ night, along morning, common time of day geese migration. colder denser air during these times may equivalent altitude hundreds of meters lower. suspected authors of these 2 studies tales of geese flying @ 8,000 m (26,000 ft) apocryphal. bar headed geese have been observed flying @ 23,000 ft.

the bar-headed goose migrates on himalayas spend winter in parts of south asia (from assam far south tamil nadu. modern winter habitat of species cultivated fields, feeds on barley, rice , wheat, , may damage crops. birds kyrgyzstan have been noted stopover in western tibet , southern tajikistan 20 30 days before migrating farther south. birds may show high wintering site fidelity.

with glossy ibis plegadis falcinellus @ keoladeo national park, bharatpur, rajasthan, india.

they nest on tibetan plateau. intraspecific brood parasitism noticed lower rank females attempting lay eggs in nests of higher ranking females.

the bar-headed goose kept in captivity, considered beautiful , breeds readily. records in great britain frequent, , relate escapes. however, species has bred on several occasions in recent years , around 5 pairs recorded in 2002, recent available report of rare birds breeding panel. possible species becoming gradually more established in great britain. bird sociable , causes no problems other birds. feral population believed declining in great britain due over-hunting.