Mountain geese
The migratory mountain goose belongs to the duck family. The number of this species has recently been significantly reduced, in some places, for example, in certain areas of the Pamir and Tien Shan, it has completely disappeared.
Mountain geese
External signs
In the mountain goose, the main color of the plumage on the body is gray. The feathers on his head and on the side of his neck are painted white. Its light color and white head make it possible to spot the bird in flight at a fairly large distance from the ground. Among the distinctive features by which a goose can be recognized in the photo, there are two black stripes running along the crown and on the back of the head. The legs of the goose are high and painted yellow. The beak is of the same shade.
Mountain geese grow in length in the range from 0.7 to 0.75 m, gaining weight in the process of growth of 2.0-3.2 kg. Young animals can weigh from 200 g to 1 kg. Wing length - 0.4-0.5 m.
The color of the plumage depends on how old the bird is:
- in newborn chicks, the down jacket is bright straw-yellow with a dark mark on the crown, the scapular part is olive, as they grow, the birds change color and become brown on the back,
- the young are one-color, the feather is gray, without characteristic black stripes, only the frontal part, the head from the sides, the neck and the upper cervical part are white, after the second change of feather, dark stripes begin to appear in the young, they acquire their final appearance after the third change of plumage,
- adult females and males, as a general rule, are brown-gray with a white head and neck, plumage on their backs with an ash tint and diluted with dark wavy stripes.
Geography of residence and relocation
Nesting and migratory highland Asian breed can most often be found on lakes located in the highlands of the central Tien Shan. It lives in the reservoirs of the Pamirs, in the Altai there is the extreme northwestern point of habitation. The northern border of residence runs through Mongolia. The mountain goose lives in Tuva.
For wintering, mountain geese move closer to the Indian shores, settling in lowlands and swampy areas. They can nest in Pakistan and large Burmese rivers.
Large numbers of birds can be found only in Tibet. The mountain goose is listed in the Red Book of Russia as an endangered species. The number of representatives of this species nesting in Russian regions is no more than 1500 individuals.
A small population of geese was observed in the North European part. You can meet birds in Russia. On the territory of our country, they are found in the valleys of Tuvan rivers, they were seen on Lake Teletskoye, on the banks of the Abakan River. Some representatives of the breed live on the Taimyr Peninsula, some individuals have been recorded in the Krasnoyarsk reservoirs, as well as in the Far East.
The scientists noted that the spring and autumn movements of mountain geese do not coincide.
After wintering, mountain geese return from March to early April. The autumn migration of birds living in the northern regions begins early, in August.Southern inhabitants leave their nesting sites in September-October.
For habitats, mountain geese choose a mountainous landscape. These can be rivers and lakes, swamps and river sources located nearby with rocks and high-mountain cliffs high above sea level. In the conditions of the plateau, they can settle on salt water bodies with trees and shrubs growing along their banks.
Unique flying abilities
Specialists know the mountain representative by his high flight. This is one of the highest rising birds. Scientists have recorded an altitude of 10.175 thousand meters, to which they climbed, moving from the Central Asian continent over the Himalayas. And this is despite the fact that the air discharged at such an altitude makes it impossible to fly even for helicopter technology.
In their ability to understand aerial heights, mountain geese are only inferior to vultures, which can fly at an altitude of 12.150 thousand meters.
The mountain goose conducts a high flight, keeping in the form of an angle, diagonally or as two converging straight lines. During the flight, the leading individual changes from the next one every next 5 minutes.
When descending to the water surface, mountain geese initially circle, and then descend, turning over in the air.
Behavioral traits and nutrition
Bird behavior
Being the owner of rather long legs, the mountain goose moves awkwardly on them, but in case of danger it is able to run quickly, while helping to move with the help of its wings.
In the mountain goose, the voice has a low timbre, unlike the sounds made by an ordinary gray goose. At the same time, the voice of birds is heard far beyond their location. They are often heard much earlier than seen.
For mountain geese, a terrestrial way of life is preferable, because they try to spend more time on the earth's surface, but they are no less comfortable able to feel on the water surface.
Mountain birds have a sociable and curious nature.
Feeling safe, mountain geese often find themselves too close to human settlements in search of food, leading a predominantly diurnal lifestyle. In places where they are trying to hunt, they become wary, and when they sense danger, they begin to lean towards a nocturnal lifestyle, stopping to rest in places inaccessible to people.
In mountain geese, scientists noted special attentiveness to each other. If one of the flock is injured, they will definitely return and take the feeble bird away with them.
During the period of plumage change and for feeding, mountain geese can go to inaccessible shallows, but when young animals become winged, the birds again move to the slums, gathering in a flock, getting out for feeding at night.
Mountain geese have no commercial value, being only a subject for hunting, which has recently been prohibited in many areas due to the disappearance of this species of birds. Due to their non-aggressive nature, they are easily tamed by humans and can live in captivity at home in areas with mountainous terrain.
Feed ration
Among the main food that the mountain goose feeds on is terrestrial vegetation: its birds can independently hunt on the shores of water bodies. Most of the food ration is occupied by cereals, sedge meadow grass, and legume seeds. In wintering places, mountain geese feed mainly on cereals. Birds search for algae and crustaceans on the surf.
Nesting
Having returned after wintering, the birds keep in small flocks of 20 individuals, building a nest in colonies of 3-7 close to each other. They build their nests on rocky surfaces or in the crown of trees at a height of 4 to 6 m, on the banks of reservoirs and wetlands. The oviposition of the mountain goose contains 4-6 white matte eggs.