Temperatures on the mountain can plummet low enough to freeze exposed flesh instantly. Then every fall these birds retrace their route to India. Considering the bar-headed goose's stamina and tolerance for thin air, one might expect this bird to take the form of a giant lung. But it doesn't. Rather, its robust gray body, long neck, and short, tapered beak create an elegant S-shaped silhouette.
Adults weigh about five pounds and stand about two feet high.
Two horizontal black stripes on the back of the bird's white head give the species its name. The yearly migration of these geese is apparently triggered by a biological alarm that rings early enough in the spring for them to miss the summer monsoon season and early enough in the fall for them to miss the worst of winter's storms. Still, they cast their fates to the wind only with due consideration. Geese poised to take off, for example, may delay their flight if strong headwinds kick up. And when airborne birds get tossed about, they may turn back and land or change altitude in search of better conditions.