Bar-headed Goose
Anser indicus
Silhouette: Rebecca Groom · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderAnseriformes (Waterfowl)
- FamilyAnatidae (Ducks, Geese, and Swans)
- GenusAnser (Grey Geese)
- SpeciesAnser indicus (Bar-headed Goose)
About the Bar-headed Goose
The bar-headed goose (Anser indicus) is a goose that breeds in Central Asia in colonies of thousands near mountain lakes and winters in South Asia, as far south as peninsular India. It lays three to eight eggs at a time in a ground nest. It is known for the extreme altitudes it reaches when migrating across the Himalayas.
The bar-headed goose is basal in the grey goose genus Anser. The genus Anser has only one other member indigenous to the Indian region (greylag goose of the subspecies Anser anser rubrirostris, which also winters in the region), and none to the Ethiopian, Australian, or Neotropical regions. Ludwig Reichenbach placed the bar-headed goose in the monotypic genus Eulabeia in 1852, though other authorities treat both Eulabeia and the genus Chen as synonyms of Anser.
The bird is pale grey and is easily distinguished from any of the other grey geese of the genus Anser by the black bars on its otherwise white head. It is also much paler than the other geese in this genus. In flight, its call is a typical goose honking. A mid-sized goose, it measures 71–76 cm (28–30 in) in total length and weighs 1.87–3.2 kg (4.1–7.1 lb).
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Recent sightings of Bar-headed Goose in Kaziranga National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Kaziranga National Park
Greylag Goose
Anser anser
Greater White-fronted Goose
Anser albifrons
Lesser White-fronted Goose
Anser erythropus
Indian Spot-billed Duck
Anas poecilorhyncha
Ruddy Shelduck
Tadorna ferruginea
Common Teal
Anas crecca
Northern Pintail
Anas acuta
Gadwall
Mareca strepera
Eurasian Wigeon
Mareca penelope
Lesser Whistling-Duck
Dendrocygna javanica
Northern Shoveler
Spatula clypeata
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Keoladeo National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 2 | Kaziranga National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 3 | Satpura National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 4 | Chitwan National Park | 🇳🇵 Nepal | |
| 5 | Bandipur National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 6 | Ranthambore National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 7 | Royal Bardia National Park | 🇳🇵 Nepal | |
| 8 | Nagarhole National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 9 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 10 | Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park | 🇲🇳 Mongolia | |
| 11 | Sierra de Guadarrama National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 12 | Kanha National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 13 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 14 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 15 | Khangchendzonga National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 16 | Hortobágy National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 17 | Royal Manas National Park | 🇧🇹 Bhutan | |
| 18 | Langtang National Park | 🇳🇵 Nepal | |
| 19 | Jim Corbett National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 20 | Bandhavgarh National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 21 | Fertő-Hanság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 22 | Manas National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 23 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Bar-headed Goose in Kaziranga National Park?
About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Bar-headed Goose sighting in Kaziranga National Park, based on 1,796 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Bar-headed Goose in Kaziranga National Park?
February has the highest sighting rate for Bar-headed Goose in Kaziranga National Park in our monthly data.