Bar-headed goose

Bar-headed goose
Anser indicus, Latham, 1790

In many languages, it is also called the Indian goose. In terms of size, it is similar to the bean goose. The bar-headed goose has been seen in Tibet at as high as 5,600 m above sea level. Twice a year, it flies through the Himalaya at an altitude of about 10,000 m, which is the height passenger aircrafts operate on. Flocks flying over the world’s highest mountain, Mount Everest, have also been observed. At such an altitude the oxygen concentration is half as much as at sea level, the temperature can drop below -50 Celsius degrees and the bar-headed goose flies with the speed of about 80 km/h.
Distribution: central Asia, the Tibetan Plateau; in winter – northern India, western Pakistan and Nepal

male / female
body length: 75–90 cm
wingspan: 150–180 cm
body mass: 2,5–4,1 kg