adult

adult flying European distribution group

Identification

The Bean Goose is the only goose with a black and orange bill although at a distance it may be hard to prove that the bill isn't black and pink as in a Pink-foot. In that case look at the colour of the upper wing - dull dark brown in a Bean Goose, frosty grey in a Pink-foot, and also the shape of the head and bill - much longer and smoothly triangular in a Bean Goose, stubby in a Pink-foot. Beware though that birds of the Eastern race A.f.rossicus have smaller bills more like Pink-feet. In flight, the dark upper wing, back and rump separate them from both Greylags and Pink-feet and they lack the black belly bars of the adult White-fronts.

Habitat

Breeds on marshes and swampy lake margins in Scandinavia often above the tree-line. Winters on arable fields and marshes.

Migration

Birds of the taiga race leave their nesting areas after post-breeding moult in early September, arriving in southern Sweden in October. Almost half of these birds remain in Sweden (except in really harsh winters) and the rest move on to areas South of the Baltic, especially Holland. Birds of the tundra race migrate to areas further South, especially the Balkans, France, Italy and Spain returning March-May.

This information is taken from the BirdFile on the appropriate BirdGuides DVD-ROM. As well as video and sounds, our CD- and DVD-ROMs contain additional text on Voice, Sexing, Ageing, Food, Nests and Eggs and more.

For the purposes of our bird news services, Bean Goose is classed as Local: generally fairly regular or common species that a 'county lister' or a birding beginner might be interested in going to see. (Note that rarity levels are currently applied nationally and may not reflect local variations in abundance.)

Lackford, Suffolk 23/02/2010	Lackford, Suffolk 23/02/2010	Burravoe, Yell, Shetland 19/02/2010	Bishop Middleham, Durham 07/02/2010	Bishop Middleham, Durham 07/02/2010
Chartham, Kent 04/02/2010	Chartham, Kent 04/02/2010	Chartham, Kent 04/02/2010	Deal, Kent 31/01/2010	Deal, Kent 31/01/2010

 View all pictures of Bean Goose

Bean Goose breeds in the following countries (Bird News Extra subscribers will see population statistics and information on trends for each country):

Finland
Norway
Russia
Sweden

http://blx1.bto.org/birdfacts/results/bob1570.htm   BTO BirdFacts: Bean Goose	Edit this link
	Broken link
Recommend a new link

BirdGuides Ltd are not responsible for the content of external sites. If you find a broken link, please click the appropriate "Broken link" link above`.