Bar-headed goose

Facts

IUCN LEAST CONCERN (LC)

Facts about this animal

The bar-headed goose in one of the larger geese with body-weights ranging from 2 to 3 kg.

The plumage is grey and white with two horseshoe-shaped, brownish-black bars on the back of the white head. The bill and legs are pink, orange, or yellow.

Nesting may be colonial. The female lays 4-6 white eggs and incubates them for 27 days.

Did you know?
that every spring flocks of bar-headed geese fly from India through the Himalayan range, above Mount Everest, on their way to their nesting grounds in Tibet. They are capable of flying through the passes of the highest mountains at heights of 2600-4200 m with winds that blow at speeds of more than 300 kmh and temperatures low enough to freeze exposed flesh instantly.

Factsheet
Class	AVES
Order	ANSERIFORMES
Suborder	ANSERES
Family	ANATIDAE
Name (Scientific)	Anser indicus
Name (English)	Bar-headed goose
Name (French)	Oie à tête barrée
Name (German)	Streifengans
Name (Spanish)	Ansar indio
Local names	Hindi: Hans, Rajhans, Birwa, Sawan
CITES Status	Not listed
CMS Status	Appendix II (as Anatidae spp.)

Photo Copyright by
Adrian Pingstone

Distribution

Distribution
Range	Breeds on high mountain lakes in SE Russia, N India and W China, and winters in India and N Burma. Occurs in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Thailand, Viet Nam. Vagrants may be seen in Kazakhstan and Lao PDR. There are also some extralimital populations e.g. in Canada or the Netherlands.
Habitat	Breeding is associated with inland lakes. Foraging on grasslands, arable land and coastal areas.
Wild population	Global population estimated to be between 52,000 and 60,000 individuals by Wetlands International (2002)
Zoo population	782 reported to ISIS (2006)

In the Zoo

How this animal should be transported

For air transport, Container Note 17 of the IATA Live Animals Regulations should be followed.

Find this animal on ZooLex

Photo Copyright by
J. M. Garg

Why do zoos keep this animal

This is the most attractive of the "grey" geese. It is kept for educational reasons, often in mixed Asian exhibits together with ungulates, cranes and other waterfowl. Outside the breeding season it may be kept in walk-thru exhibits, alowing for close encounters with the public. It is thus a good ambassador species for Asian grasslands and wetlands.

How this animal should be kept

Unless a lot of space is available allowing the birds to disperse, pairs should be separated during the breeding season in an enclosure or aviary with a land surface of 100 to 200 m² and a water surface of 10 to 50 m². For the rest of the year, the geese may be kept in larger social groups. If kept in multispecies waterfowl exhibits, the species should be selected in a way to avoid hybridisation. Note that WAZA has adopted the policy of outphasing pinioning, and that several countries prohibit the use of surgical methods for flight restraint. Bar-headed geese have proven to be not particularly invasive, and free flight may be possible under certain circumstances, however requires permanent monitoring of the birds.

Bar-headed geese need access to grass for food. Supplementary feeding , in the form of pellets can be a substitute in the winter months, when grass levels are low. All food stored must be kept in a dry condition. If it becomes damp it should not be used. It is important that the food fed is fresh. If food is fed into water, only as much as will be readily eaten should be given. All feed containers in pens should be cleaned regularly. Grit should be available on a regular basis, and additional limestone grit should be fed on available annually, just prior to the egg-laying season.