laitimes

Birds that can fly at altitudes above 9,000 meters cross the Himalayas every year

author:Increase knowledge science

Spotted geese, highland wetland waterbirds, live in highland wetland lakes. It is 62 to 85 cm long and weighs 2 to 3 kg, monogamous, gregarious, feeding on plant leaves, rhizomes, seeds, shellfish, molluscs, etc.

Birds that can fly at altitudes above 9,000 meters cross the Himalayas every year

Spotted geese are migratory birds that migrate every year, and unlike ordinary bird migrations, the path of the spotted goose migrates through the Himalayas, the highest mountain range in the world. This means that spotted geese fly over the Himalayas twice a year.

Birds that can fly at altitudes above 9,000 meters cross the Himalayas every year

As everyone knows. The higher the altitude, the lower the oxygen content in the air, and climbers carry oxygen tanks when they climb. So why can the spotted goose leap to the peak and complete the migration in the absence of oxygen?

Birds that can fly at altitudes above 9,000 meters cross the Himalayas every year

Spotted geese are birds that are very adapted to plateau life and can withstand 30% oxygen concentrations above sea level when flying. The α subunits of erythrocytes in their bodies mutated, which caused their red blood cells to bind to oxygen very quickly. In addition, their lungs are large and flat, which is more advantageous for deep breathing.

Birds that can fly at altitudes above 9,000 meters cross the Himalayas every year

Spotted geese migrate south to prepare for the winter beginning in September of each year, and then migrate to breeding grounds in the north or northwest from mid-March in the following spring.

Birds that can fly at altitudes above 9,000 meters cross the Himalayas every year