Chamarajanagar: Bar-headed geese flock Gundlupet

With the onset of winter, birds have started migrating to warmer countries. The lakes and ponds in the Gundlupet taluk of Chamarajanagar district have turned hot spots of bar-headed geese, which travel long distances from across the globe.

Hundreds of birds migrate to this place from Mangolia, Tibet, Kazakhstan and Russia before crossing over the Himalayas. The birds can be seen at Doddakere, in Hangala village, and also in small ponds near Gopalaswamy Hill.

The bar-headed goose are one of the birds which fly at highest altitude - around 7,000 metres. The birds are larger than ducks and are purely vegetarian. They feeds on grass, roots, grains, seeds, fruits, and algae growing in water.

The birds have got their name from their black bars on the head, which is easy to distinguish them from other species of geese. They lay three to eight eggs at a time and make a peculiar sound while flying, said R K Madhu, a wildlife photographer.