Bar-headed Goose

The Bar-headed Goose is a pale gray goose renowned as one of the highest-flying birds in the world, famous for migrating directly over the Himalayas at altitudes that would leave most animals gasping for oxygen. It is easily recognized by two bold black bars crossing the back of an otherwise white head, a pale gray body, and a dark stripe running down the back of the neck.

Breeding on high-altitude lakes across Central Asia and wintering on lowland wetlands in South Asia, the Bar-headed Goose has evolved a suite of physiological adaptations that allow it to fly at extreme elevations during its remarkable seasonal migrations.

Key field marks

• White head crossed by two bold black bars (one behind the eye, one across the nape)
• Pale gray body overall, darker gray-brown back, orange-yellow bill and legs
• Dark stripe running down the back of the white neck

Similar species

No other goose combines the white head with two black bars and pale gray body; the Greylag Goose and Greater White-fronted Goose both lack the distinct black head bars and have plainer brownish-gray heads.

Bar-headed Geese breed on high-altitude lakes and wetlands across the Tibetan Plateau and other parts of Central Asia, often at elevations of several thousand meters. They migrate to lowland wetlands, rivers, and agricultural fields across South Asia, particularly India, for the winter, undertaking one of the most physically demanding migrations of any bird as they cross the Himalayan range.

Behavior

Bar-headed Geese are strong, capable fliers adapted for sustained flight at extremely high, low-oxygen altitudes, with physiological traits such as more efficient hemoglobin and lungs that support this feat; they form flocks during migration and on wintering grounds.

Voice

Gives loud, nasal honking calls typical of gray geese, used in flight and to maintain flock contact.

Feeding

Grasses, sedges, grains, and other plant material, grazed in wetlands and agricultural fields.

Nesting

Nests on the ground, sometimes on cliff ledges or islands in high-altitude lakes; clutches typically hold 3-8 eggs.