The Himalayas, is a mountain range which separates the Great Indian Plains from the Tibetan Plateau. This range is home to nine of the ten highest peaks on the Earth, including the highest, Mount Everest. The abrupt rise of the Himalayan Mountains from less than 500 meters to more than 8,000 meters in a few hundred kilometers has resulted in a huge diversity of flora and fauna. Nearly 1000 birds have been recorded in the Himalayas of which 15 species are fully endemic.
The Greylag Goose (Anser anser) is a large migratory goose with a wide range in the Old World. The “lag" portion of the common name was derived from the fact that they are one of the last geese to migrate (lagging behind other migrating geese). They breed in southeastern Europe, Asia Minor and USSR from the Urals east to Manchuria: migrate to India, Burma and south China for the winter.
After the breeding season, birds will undergo a complete simultaneous replacement oi all their flight feathers, leaving them unable to fly for about a month - until the new Sight feathers have grown in. Prior to this molt large flocks will undertake molt migrations to areas that offer plenty of feeding opportunities and safe roosting sites. They occupy a wide variety of habitats.
IUCN Status: Least Concern (LC)