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The mountain goose is a medium-sized waterfowl that differs from other species of the family in its color (the body is light gray, the color of the head plumage is white). The bird has rather long legs, although the goose moves on them rather awkwardly, it can run fast, it helps with its wings during movement, making small strokes.
In fact, the bird presented to the attention prefers to maintain a terrestrial lifestyle, however, it doesn’t prevent him from feeling great in the water and, as a rule, when a dangerous situation arises, geese choose reservoirs that help them quickly escape from the enemy.
Habitat
The mountain goose is a bird that is most common in Asia - its central part (a typical representative of the family of the Goose-type Asian-Asian). The limits of distribution of the species in the north - Mongolia.In the warm period, the goose can often be found in the Southern Baikal region. The main place of wintering of this species is in India and Pakistan.
Biotope
Number of species
The highest number of mountain goose populations lives only in Tibet; in the rest of the distribution areas, the number of bird colonies is of medium size (except for the Tien Shan are small groups of birds). I would like to note that in the past few decades, the population of such a bird species as the mountain goose has declined markedly.
Breeding features
The first time after the arrival of the colony to the nesting place, birds, as a rule, gather in small schools of small size, consisting of several dozen individuals.After some time, the birds from these groups are divided into pairs. Marriage games imply that the male begins to attract the attention of the female by aerial "catch-ups", while performing unimaginable pirouettes in the air.
Often the goose nests in small colonies (up to 10 nearby nests). The place for the nest is selected on a small elevation (ledges of rocks, rather tall trees). A prerequisite for bird nesting is the presence of a water source in the immediate vicinity of the nest, which also implies swampy areas.
Building a nest on a tree, the goose places it at a height of not less than 5-6 meters from the ground. For the construction of used thin twigs and knots. Note that the nests of these waterfowl are distinguished by a kind of careless construction and a shallow laying tray.
Erected in wetlands nests are small depressions in the soil, framed and lined with branches and vegetation. The bottom is richly covered with down of the bird.
The average number of laying is from 6 to 8 eggs, the sizes are average, the surface is rough with a characteristic matte gloss.The emerging brood of chicks is constantly under the supervision of both the male and the geese. When a danger arises, the adults transfer the young stock to the water, after which the family with its full complement swims away to a quiet and safe place.
Nutrition
The basic ration of the mountain goose is a diverse terrestrial vegetation growing on the banks of reservoirs or at some distance from them. The most preferred cereal for this species of bird. Also, geese of this family are often eaten by algae, invertebrates and crustaceans, found in the riparian strip and on the coast of water bodies.
Bird structure and size
The average body length of adults of mountain goose reaches 454 mm, weight - 2-3.2 kg. The bird's beak is much smaller than the head itself, with the same width along the entire length and a slight rounding at the top. The length of the wings of birds reaches the top of a rounded tail, the latter has 8 pairs of tail feathers. The legs of the goose are rather short with a middle finger of small size. The back finger on the paw has a well-developed blade.
Features color plumage
The offspring of goslings born into the world has a down jacket of saturated straw color, as well as a characteristic brown-gray spot on the crown. The hull color is mainly light olive color, the loins and wings are light yellow. The dress of the grown offspring is different in that the color of the body darkens a little, becoming light smoky. The color of the neck seems motley due to the set of white fluffs. The front part becomes white, and the sides get a white-smoky color.
The color of young birds is monochromatic, gray, with no characteristic transverse stripes of this type. Upper body and head are white. On the crown and occiput are dark gray spots. After the beginning of the period corresponding to the second molt, the color of the plumage receives easily denoted transverse stripes. The final outfit the mountain goose gets after the third molt.
Features molting
The period of full summer molt of the mountain goose continues from June to July. The earliest molt begins with the representatives of this species living in Altai. As a rule, in the beginning of summer, the change of the feather feather begins, which is why individuals move exclusively by land. Geese get up on a wing only in the middle-end of August.Note that the change in the plumage of adult birds coincides with the time of the beginning of the growth of the first feather cover in the young.
A full molt of an adult bird is characterized by the simultaneous onset of the fall of the entire flight feathers, after which the plumage of the upper tailor falls. Next, the change of feathers comes to the lower coverts. In the future, with the growth of the new flight tail, a gradual change of the contour pen begins. It should be noted that the process of molting individuals of the species often takes place in a shorter time interval than many northern relatives of this species of bird.
Economic value
Mountain geese are among the most highly rising birds in the air. During migration from India or Asia, they can cross large mountain ranges in just a few hours. These birds can fly without rest for at least 10 hours.This is explained by the fact that at a high altitude the blood transports much more oxygen to the muscle tissue, which, in fact, distinguishes them from the closest relatives of the goose family.
Due to its unusual physiology, the mountain goose is able to make not only long flights, but also to survive in the extreme conditions of the natural habitat.
Video: mountain goose (Anser indicus)
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