Raising the Bar

A bar-headed goose ... a little off course. He should be in central Asia but just popped into Slimbridge WWT about 10 days ago. 

They raise their young in Tibet and Mongolia then fly south over the Himalayas sometimes reaching a staggering height of 24,000 feet which is the height of a cruising aircraft and one of only 2 birds, the other being the Ruppell's Griffon Vulture that can fly to such a high altitude. They have even been seen to fly over the peaks round Mount Everest.

They never soar or use tail winds, never stop flapping and some of their flights have been recorded as 17 hours long. Quite a feat!