On April 30, 2024 the Ministry of Digital Development of the Kyrgyz Republic puts into circulation a 2023 Kyrgyz Express Post postage stamp: "Bird of the Year (V). The Bar-headed Goose".
The Bar-headed Goose (Anser indicus) is a migratory bird from the duck family. The Bar-headed Goose has a grayish body color, with white head and neck sides. A characteristic feature of the appearance of these geese is the presence of two black bars on the crown and nape. The weight of an adult bird ranges from 2 to 3 kg. Bar-headed geese are among the highest-flying birds. There is a recorded case of Bar-headed Geese flying at an altitude of 10,175 meters.
The Bar-headed Goose winters mainly in India. It flies to Kyrgyzstan during March and April, and flies to wintering grounds in November. Bar-headed geese prefer to settle near high-mountain lakes and the swampy areas of alpine meadows. In Kyrgyzstan, they nest exclusively on the high-mountain lake Chatyr-Kul.
Unfortunately, the number of these beautiful birds is decreasing. The main reason for the decline in the Bar-headed Goose population is the excessive anthropogenic development of the territory in nesting areas. Currently, the Bar-headed Goose is a very rare species of fauna, listed in the Kyrgyz Republic Red Data Book.
The Kyrgyz Wildlife Conservation Society (KWCS) has chosen the Bar-headed Goose as The Bird of the Year in Kyrgyzstan for 2023.
