Anser indicus

(Latham, 1790)

Vernacular names
English : Bar-headed goose
French : Oie à tête barrée

Classification
Class : Aves
Order : Anseriformes
Family : Anatidae
Notes : No subspecies known.

Identification
Adults can reach 76 cm in length for a weight of 3 kg. Unmistakable. Plumage mostly ashy grey with black stripes, black flight feathers and white undertail. White head and neck stripe. Head with two broad black bands. Yellow bill, black tip.

Range and habitat
This species breeds in central and north-east Asia, from Afghanistan to Mongolia and north China. Winters in south-central Asia. Breeds in wetlands in montane plateaux, winters in lowlands. To 5300 m.

Conservation
IUCN RED LIST : LEAST CONCERN
CITES : Not Listed
Status : The species has declined significantly because of habitat loss, hunting and egg collecting. Hydroelectric schemes pose considerable threats locally.
Ex-Situ Programs : None known

Observation

 

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