Photographing Bar-headed Geese-Tips and Tricks

Photographing Bar-headed Geese can be most rewarding, especially if you can get really close to them without distressing them. They are specially spooked by abrupt movements, flashy clothes and abrupt movements. Wearing camouflage clothes, muted colors and clothes that break the body shape can be of much help.

The months of February and March see Bar-headed Geese heading for the wetlands in and around Gurugram in Haryana, India. Some of the favorite wetlands and Biodiversity hotspots include the Chandu Budhera canal area bordering New Delhi, and the Basai Wetland. Bar-headed Geese home in for these places since they have been following ancient migratory routes.

The ideal time of the day to photograph Bar-headed geese is during the early morning hours. The Golden is usually between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. when the soft tones of the sun enhance the colors of the birds. Action shots of the birds capture the movements of the birds beautifully especially when they are taking off or landing.

Having a landscape context can highlight the birds making them standout of the background and foreground. Landscapes include waterscapes, green areas and in some cases derelict buildings, that can be found in abundance at the Chandu Budhera canal area.

Photographing and documenting the behavior of birds, including their interactions, and feeding behavior can make for interesting shots. Having a zoom lens or a telephoto lens 300 mm or more can be a boon because it allows you to photograph these birds from a comfortable distance without spooking them.

Ensuring a sharp focus, in my case focusing on the eyes gives you good results. Last, but not  least, you need to compose your photographs while taking the photographs. Practicing ethical wildlife photography norms make a big difference. As a wildlife photographer, you need to respect the privacy of these birds. I have come across a few wildlife photographers who throw objects at birds in order to make them take to the air so that they can take flying shots.

We often work as a team, my brother and me, moving around in synchronized movements, using hand signal so as to not frighten away the birds. I prefer riding a bike to these destinations as it is easier to park and can find its way in some of the toughest terrains.

Bar-headed Geese Spotted at the erstwhile Basai Wetland Today!

It is amazing to see Bar-headed Geese returning to their wintering habitat in the now defunct wetland that was once a vibrant Biodiversity hotspot in Gurgaon that supported a vibrant ecosystem! What was once a huge wetland is now a small dried up patch of wasteland on which Bar-headed Geese keep returning every year. Unfortunately this patch which is imbedded in their navigation history has shrunk to a few square meters!

The Basai Wetland in Gurgaon is a prime example of the desecration of a prime wetland by unscrupulous builders and various organizations that have deliberately turned a blind eye to the wanton destruction of an important biodiversity hotspot. First they opened waste sewer pipes into the marshland, then they allowed people to breed the banned catfish. Now, buildings are sprouting from the marshland like mushrooms overnight, and flyovers bisect the once thriving wetland into slices!

Spotting Bar-headed Geese at the Basai wetland remind me of the poem, 'Still I Rise' by Maya Angelou and I would like to quote the first stanza below:

You may write me down in history
With bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.

The lines by Maya Angelo might as well be the voice of disappearing wetlands in India, or even the voices of migratory birds fighting back, returning to what were once their wintering habitats! Unfortunately, much money is being pumped into non-viable Ramsar wetland sites like the Sultanpur National Park which doesn't have its own source of water has become more of an arid wasteland that defies artificial resuscitation!

Of course we all know that Bar-headed Geese of great importance to scientific research because it is baffling how they are able to fly at heights of over 22000 feet without Oxygen. Also the accuracy with which they navigate during migration to the Indian Subcontinent is a mystery. Their endurance in flight is exemplary, and their migratory patterns have been of much study.

River Terns Spotted at the Sultanpur National Park early in the month

The spotting of quite a few River Terns on the 7th of March, 2025 at the Sultanpur National Park was unusual in itself. I have rarely come across these birds at the Sultanpur National Park, though I have spotted them at the Chandu Budhera canal a few times.

River Terns or the Indian River Terns are Terns belonging to the family of Laridae. It is a resident breeder supposed to be found along inland rivers throughout the Indian subcontinent, according to  an entry in Wikipedia. 

I was able to take a few photographs of the birds, not realising that they were River Terns. As a result, I was not able to take significant care in getting them into the frame. However one question arises and that is, what were these River Terns doing so far away the nearest inland river systems? Well I guess it is all about shifting or shrinking ecosystems in the area.

The River Tern population is declining in numbers and this could be because of shrinking ecosystems and biodiversity hotspots that support riverine birds in India and neighbouring countries. Whatever might be the case, it was a pleasant surprise to spot these birds.

The Amazing Sarus Cranes of the Chandu-Budhera Canal area

Sarus cranes are among the largest native birds in India. They can fly and are distinctly unique, matching the height of an average Indian. Sarus cranes are the world's tallest flying birds and can appear intimidating.

Sarus cranes are also India's only resident breeding cranes. While a significant number of these birds can be found in Uttar Pradesh, they have been spotted in pairs at the Sultanpur National Park, the erstwhile Basai wetland, and of course at the Chandu Budhera canal abutting the Najafgarh wetland. While Sarus Cranes and human beings exist close to each other, in Uttar Pradesh, those found in Haryana, especially Gurgaon, are more wary of human presence.

The drying up of the Basai wetland and the near drought-like conditions at the Sultanpur National Park have forced the larger birds, native or migratory, to gather at the Chandu Budhera wetland. Larger birds like Sarus cranes and the Bar-headed geese need much food to survive. Dried up wetlands have little to offer in the form of Molluscs, snails, insects, and crustaceans, besides grains, and other vegetables.

Pairs of Sarus Cranes are perfectly synchronized to each other. They feed together, fly together and sing together. While they are preening themselves, one will always be on the watch while the other busies itself putting its feathers right, and looking for niggling fleas.

These rather majestic birds are known to be with each other for life. Adults can mostly be found in pairs, a male and a female. The male Sarus Crane is taller than the female bird. Both of them are regarded as metaphors of integrity and devotion. These majestic cranes are victims of human developmental activities, including the construction of roads through biodiversity hotspots, and the building of housing societies on drained-out wetlands.

Haryana, especially Gurgaon, is losing its wetlands, biodiversity hotspots like forests, green fields at an alarmingly fast rate. Soon the Sarus Crane will be as extinct as the Siberian Crane which has not visited its nesting grounds in Northern India for decades.

While I have mentioned the birds as belonging to Chandu Budhera, it wouldn't be unfair to suggest that these birds might inhabit a larger area and not be limited to one Biodiversity hotspot. Thus Sarus cranes might travel from the Sultanpur National Park to the Chandu Budhera zone, while in the process dropping in at various other convenient places.

These birds, metaphors of love, devotion and dedication might soon become extinct in the coming four or five years. It is important to take up steps to ensure the safe existence of the Majestic and Graceful Sarus Cranes in Haryana, especially Gurgaon.

The Bar-headed Geese Have Arrived!

Yesterday, Friday, the 7th of March, after a rather disappointing visit to the Sultanpur National Park, I decided to visit the Najafgarh Lake Zone at Chandu Budhera. On reaching the lake I was pleasantly surprised to spot hundreds of Bar-headed Geese! It was even more surprising to see them reach their nesting ground so late in the winter season. I spotted these birds in the month of November 2023. Incidentally, I did not spot any of these birds in 2024.

The late arrival of Bar-headed Geese in the Gurgaon district could be because of climatic disruptions, change in weather, and availability of feeding grounds. It is also pertinent to note that the birds that once could be spotted closer to the city have now chosen to visit wetlands that are farther away. The Sultanpur National Park rarely hosts Bar-headed Geese and the Basai Wetland is no longer a wetland.

Bar-headed Geese are fascinating birds. They are capable of flying long distances all the way from central Asia, Tibet and parts of Russia and Mongolia. Bar-headed Geese can fly at great heights were there is hardly any Oxygen to breathe. Last but not least, they are amongst the greatest navigators in the world!

Their late arrival in the district of Gurgaon, in Haryana could be because of unfavourable weather and climate conditions. Strong head winds, lack of food, and global warming might have impacted their migration to India. Yes, it is unfortunate that their stay will be marred by the approaching summer season.

Bar-headed Geese are now forced to seek other more lush and better resourced areas than the Sultanpur National Park and the now defunct Basai Wetland. It is a matter of great concern that human industrial activities, conversion of wetlands into residential areas, and the general apathy of various organizations has resulted in these birds switching to other locations. The reduced number of Bio-diversity hotspots, lack of wetlands, is driving away migratory birds from the plains of Northern India. This has implications for us. A reduction in water resources and forests, the vanishing green areas are bound to have a future impact on the livability index for human beings.