A pale goose with two black bars on its head, famous for migrating over the Himalaya.
- Group: Bird
- Habitats: Lake, wetland
- Regions: Ü Tsang, Kham, Amdo
Habitat
Breeds on lakes and marshes of the plateau, including Tso Ngonpo, and winters in South Asia and southern Tibet.
Diet
Grasses, roots and grain.
Ecological role
A migrant that links Tibet's lakes with the rivers of India.
Threats
In 2005 an outbreak of H5N1 bird flu at Tso Ngonpo killed thousands of birds, about 90 per cent of them bar-headed geese. Egg collecting and wetland loss also threaten it.
Conservation
Listed as Least Concern by the IUCN.