Greylag Goose: Anser anser

 

Greylag Goose: Anser anser
Rajhans, Kalhans

 

Greylag Goose: Anser anser
Rajhans, Kalhans

Greylag Goose: Anser anser
Rajhans, Kalhans

Greylag goose: Anser anser. Local Name: Rajhans; Kalhans (Sanskrit)

 

This is thought to be the root goose - the progenitor of all domestic geese. The "lag" in the name could refer to the fact that they are the last among geese to emigrate from northern Europe.

 

This is a common visitor to north Indian wetlands in winter. I didn't quite spot it past season at Keoladeo Ghana -  missed it if numbers visited - however, they were present in large numbers, along with many other water birds, at the unpretentious and foggy Bhindawas Wildlife Sanctuary, a few kilometers from Jajjhar, Haryana, on the road leading to Mahendragarh, in the first week of last December.

 

It is brown coloured with grey rump and white tail and a flesh-pink bill which is typical of the species.

 

This goose is a wetland operator and likes to breed in such areas surrounded by vegetation and large open spaces. On that count, Bhindawas was ideal given there were fertile fields - pretty mustard and wheat fields - all around the sanctuary. In fact the sanctuary was born out of excess water from Jawaharlal Nehru canal stored here. Their nests are on the ground, among the reeds and grass.

 

Threats are mainly Anthropogenic. These geese are hunted all over the world for sport and meat. Hunting geese and ducks is quite a tradition in UK.

 

The dangers posed by these birds is they are carriers of Avian flu and damage crops.

 

Photographed at Bhindawas Bird Sanctuary, Haryana, India on 4th December, 2013.

 

Camera used: Nikon D5100 DSLR with AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-300mm VR Lens