Anser indicus
Conservation Status: Least Concern
Habitat: High-altitude mountain lakes
Length: Around 30 in long
Weight: 4 – 6.5 lbs
Average Lifespan: 25 years
Incubation Period: 27 days
Number of Eggs: 4 – 6
- Their powerful and constant flight helps generate body heat, which is retained
by their down feathers. Such heat helps keep ice from building up on their wings
when flying over mountains. - They have a special type of hemoglobin that absorbs oxygen quicker than other
birds; they can also extract more oxygen from each breath than other birds can - They are able to migrate more than 1609 km (1,000 mi.) in a single day
- Scientists believe the geese’s yearly migration is triggered by an environmental
signal that allows them to miss the summer monsoon season and the worst
winter storms - They rely on flapping their wings, not on gliding, and are able to fly
over 80 kph (50 mph) without wind to assist them. In fact, they are so strong that
they are able to fly in crosswinds without being blown off course - Their diet includes plants and occasionally crustaceans and invertebrates