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Bar-headed goose spotted in Pandalam
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- A six-member team attached to Pathanamthitta Birders has spotted the Bar-headed goose (Anser Indicus) in the wetlands of Karingali Puncha, near Pandalam in Kerala, reportedly the first sighting in the district.
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- Earlier sightings:
(1) A few birds were observed in the Periyar Lake at Thekkady, 2yrs ago.
(2) Before that some other observations were made in the Thrissur kole fields and in Kollam.
(3) Large flocks used to visit the Koonthakulam bird sanctuary at Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu.
(4) It is rare that the bird is spotted in Kerala and the recent sighting at puncha is important.
- About the Karingali Puncha wetlands, Kerala:
- The Puncha is a major birding spot in the district which reported the highest bird count in the Asian Waterfowl Census of 2015.
- About Bar-headed goose (Anser Indicus):
(1) IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern
(2) Found in central China and Mongolia and they breed there.
(3) Start migration to the Indian sub-continent during the winter and stay here till the end of the season.
(4) Cross Himalayas:
(a) One of the most high-altitude migrations in the world: They are one of the birds which can fly even at very high altitude. They come to India and return to their homes by crossing the Himalayan ranges.
(b) Their ability to sustain the high oxygen demands of flight in air that is exceedingly oxygen-thin is exceptional.
(c) The capacity of bar-headed geese to transport and consume oxygen at high rates in hypoxia distinguishes this species from similar lowland waterfowl.
Sources
The Hindu