Photo: Dr. Raju Kasambe / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Waterbirds

Bar-headed Goose

Anser indicus

Bar-headed Goose (Anser indicus) — Ducks, Geese & Swans of Europe & Northern Asia.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 15 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

Regional checklists

Birds of British Columbia Birds of Nova Scotia Birds of Ontario Birds of Quebec Birds of England Birds of Bedfordshire Birds of Buckinghamshire Birds of South Yorkshire Birds of Berkshire Birds of Cambridgeshire

By family

Ducks, Geese & Swans of British Columbia Ducks, Geese & Swans of Nova Scotia Ducks, Geese & Swans of Ontario Ducks, Geese & Swans of Quebec Ducks, Geese & Swans of England

See what's near you right now

The Bar-headed Goose (Anser indicus) is a member of the Anatidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 2.2 kg. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

Conservation status

IUCN Red List

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

Class Aves
Order Anseriformes
Family Anatidae Ducks, Geese, Swans
Genus Anser
Species indicus

Where it lives

Central Asia

Europe & Northern Asia

Quick facts

Weight: 2.2 kg
Diet: Plant-eaters
Family: Anatidae
Order: Anseriformes
Habitat: Wetland, lake & coast

How to identify

Similar birds

Least Concern

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Bar-headed Goose feeds mainly on plant material such as leaves, buds and shoots.

Behaviour

A bird of wetlands, it forages mainly on the ground.

Migration

The Bar-headed Goose is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.

The Bar-headed Goose (Anser indicus) belongs to the Anatidae family of the order Anseriformes. Its range spans Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers PAL c Asia.

It is a very large bird. Adults weighs around 2.2 kg, with a wing length of about 43.8 cm and a tail of around 13.3 cm.

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

The species has a mapped global range of roughly 2.4 million km².

Songs & calls

Bar-headed Goose — Flight call

Recorded by Albert Lastukhin Licence: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Bar-headed Goose — Call

Recorded by Richard E. Webster Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Bar-headed Goose — Nocturnal flight call

Recorded by Astrid Cervantes Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Bar-headed Goose — Alarm call, flight call

Recorded by David Darrell-Lambert Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

All Bar-headed Goose sounds, grouped by type →

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Bar-headed Goose?

The Bar-headed Goose is a very large bird that weighs around 2.2 kg.

Where does the Bar-headed Goose live?

The Bar-headed Goose is found across Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL c Asia, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.

What family does the Bar-headed Goose belong to?

The Bar-headed Goose (Anser indicus) belongs to the Anatidae family, in the order Anseriformes.

What does the Bar-headed Goose eat?

The Bar-headed Goose feeds mainly on plant material such as leaves, buds and shoots.

Does the Bar-headed Goose migrate?

The Bar-headed Goose is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.

Is the Bar-headed Goose endangered?

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

What sound does the Bar-headed Goose make?

4 real field recordings of the Bar-headed Goose — including its call, alarm call and flight call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, each credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Bar-headed Goose's range?

The Bar-headed Goose has a mapped global range of about 2.4 million km².