Bar-headed Goose
Anser indicus
The Bar-headed Goose (Anser indicus) is a uncommon ducks, swans, and geese found in 52 countries, weighing about 2.2 kg. The bar-headed goose is a goose that breeds in Central Asia in colonies of thousands near mountain lakes and winters in South Asia, as far south as peninsular India.
About the Bar-headed Goose
The bar-headed goose is a goose that breeds in Central Asia in colonies of thousands near mountain lakes and winters in South Asia, as far south as peninsular India. It lays three to eight eggs at a time in a ground nest. It is known for the extreme altitudes it reaches when migrating across the Himalayas.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The bird is pale grey and is easily distinguished from any of the other grey geese of the genus Anser by the black bars on its otherwise white head. It is also much paler than the other geese in this genus. In flight, its call is a typical goose honking. A mid-sized goose, it measures 71–76 cm (28–30 in) in total length and weighs 1.87–3.2 kg (4.1–7.1 lb).
What the Bar-headed Goose sounds like
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in United States, Canada, Luxembourg, Türkiye, Mexico, Sri Lanka, Guernsey, Iceland, South Africa, Portugal.
When to see it
The Bar-headed Goose can be seen all year round, with peak activity in January. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Bar-headed Goose?
- The bird is pale grey and is easily distinguished from any of the other grey geese of the genus Anser by the black bars on its otherwise white head. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Bar-headed Goose?
- The Bar-headed Goose is a huge sized bird weighing about 2.2 kg.
- Where can you see a Bar-headed Goose?
- The Bar-headed Goose occurs in 52 countries, including India, Sweden, Germany, Norway and Belgium.
- What does a Bar-headed Goose sound like?
- You can listen to 3 field recordings of the Bar-headed Goose on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to a Bar-headed Goose?
- The Bar-headed Goose is most easily confused with the Taiga Bean Goose, the Tundra Bean Goose and the Emperor Goose.
- Is the Bar-headed Goose endangered?
- The Bar-headed Goose is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Bar-headed Goose for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
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