# Bar-headed Goose (*Anser indicus*) The Bar-headed Goose is a beautiful bird known for flying high in the sky, even over tall mountains! They have a unique gray and white body and are great at swimming in water. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![Bar-headed Goose](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Bar-headed_Goose_by_Dr._Raju_Kasambe_DSCN7530_%2823%29.jpg&width=800) Photo: Dr. Raju Kasambe, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bar-headed_Goose_by_Dr._Raju_Kasambe_DSCN7530_%2823%29.jpg) ## Appearance The Bar-headed Goose has a distinct white head marked with two bold black bars at the back. Its body is pale grey with darker flight feathers, complemented by bright yellow-orange legs. This unique head pattern makes it visually different from other geese. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Anseriformes - **Family:** Anatidae - **Genus:** Anser ## Interesting facts - A single Bar-headed Goose can survive strong winds up to 100 mph while flying! - Ancient cave paintings show these geese, proving they've been around for ages! - Baby geese, called goslings, can swim just hours after hatching from their nests! - Unlike many birds, their feet are dark, but their legs are bright orange and yellow! ## Special abilities - **Sky-High Flyer:** Bar-headed Goose can fly incredibly high, even over Mount Everest, because their unique lungs extract oxygen efficiently. - **Cold-Air Breather:** Bar-headed Goose has special hemoglobin that helps them carry oxygen even in the thin, cold air of high mountains. - **Endurance Migrator:** Bar-headed Goose can fly for thousands of kilometers, enduring long journeys that helps them reach their wintering grounds. - **Energy-Saving Formation:** Bar-headed Goose can fly in a 'V' formation that helps them save energy during their amazing high-altitude journeys. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 68-78 cm - **Wingspan:** 140-160 cm - **Weight:** 1.8-3.2 kg - **Lifespan:** 10-20 years - **Speed:** 75 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 3-8 - **Incubation:** 28-36 days - **Migration Distance:** 5000 km ## Diet & Feeding They mostly munch on different plants, grasses, seeds, and sometimes small insects found near water. - **Primary Foods:** grasses, sedges, aquatic plants, grains, roots, small invertebrates - **Foraging Method:** Grazing ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Red Fox](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-fox) (*Vulpes vulpes*) — preys on eggs and goslings - **Eaten by:** [Golden Eagle](https://www.snappit.app/explore/golden-eagle) (*Aquila chrysaetos*) — hunts adults and juveniles - **Eats:** [Wheat](https://www.snappit.app/explore/wheat) (*Triticum aestivum*) — consumes grain from harvested fields - **Eats:** Softstem Bulrush (*Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani*) — feeds on aquatic plant stems and roots - **Symbiotic with:** Mallard (*Anas platyrhynchos*) — often shares feeding grounds and water bodies ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Webbed Feet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/webbed-feet): Characterized by having toes connected by a membrane, typically aiding in swimming. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Aerial](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aerial): Aerial creatures spend a significant portion of their lives airborne, utilizing flight for various activities such as hunting, migration, or nesting. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. - [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always watch birds from a distance and don't try to touch them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Bar-headed Goose? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Bar-headed Goose? 68-78 cm ### What is Bar-headed Goose's wingspan? 140-160 cm ### How much does Bar-headed Goose weigh? 1.8-3.2 kg ### How long does Bar-headed Goose live? 10-20 years ### How fast can Bar-headed Goose move? 75 km/h ### What does Bar-headed Goose eat? They mostly munch on different plants, grasses, seeds, and sometimes small insects found near water. ### Where is Bar-headed Goose usually found? Wetlands ## Where to spot - [Knowsley Safari Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/knowsley-safari-park) — England, GB · Zoo - [Englischer Garten München](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/englischer-garten-munchen) — Bayern, DE · Park ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Bar-headed Goose: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/bar-headed-goose)