Bar-headed Goose
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Other uses: Goose (disambiguation)
The Bar-headed Goose (Anser indicus) is a goose which breeds in Central Asia and migrates over the Himalayas to winter in the wetlands of India. It is believed to be the highest flying bird having been seen at up to 30,000 feet. It lays 3-8 eggs in a nest near mountain lakes.
The bird is easily distinguished from any of the other grey geese of the genus Anser by the character implied by its English name. It is also much paler than the other geese in this genus. In flight, its call is a typical goose honking.
It has sometimes been separated from the genus Anser, which has no other member indigenous to the Indian region, nor any at all to the Ethiopian, Australian, or Neotropical regions.
The Bar-headed Goose is often kept in captivity, from which it sometimes escapes. The wild population is declining due to over-hunting.
References
- BirdLife International (2004). [Anser indicus]. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
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