There aren't many animals high up in the Himalayas, but the odd bird passes by. Each year bar-headed geese (Anser indicus) travel from their breeding grounds in China and Mongolia to spend winter in the Indian subcontinent. It's a journey that takes them through some of the tallest mountains in the world and there are even old reports of these geese flying over Annapurna and even once over Mount Everest.
We knew these birds were well adapted to flying at lofty altitudes but until now we assumed they hit some chosen top altitude and flipped on cruise control. However, new research published in the journal Science by myself and an international team of scientists found otherwise. After tracking the geese we discovered they actually stick close to the mountains, following the peaks and valleys like a roller coaster. Read more...
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