Number, population structure and habitat use of bar-headed geese Anser indicus in Ladakh (India) during the brood-rearing period(In English)

摘要

In 1998, 2000 and 2002 expeditions were conducted in Ladakh, India, to study breeding behaviour and population size of bar-headed geese Anser indicus. Bar-headed geese in Ladakh bred in small colonies on islets in fresh water lakes but not in trees and apparently not on cliffs. Egg laying started in May. Hatching synchrony within colonies was low. Breeding bar-headed geese or geese with juveniles were not observed on the shores of saline lakes. The area of Ladakh that we surveyed contained between 350 and 1 000 individuals, which makes Lake Tsomoriri (4 650 m altitude) meet the Ramsar Convention criteria for this goose species. We propose this area to be listed as such [Acta Zoologica Sinica 50(5): 738-744, 2004].