Ducks, geese, and swans · Waterfowl
Taiga Bean-Goose
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Anser fabalis
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How to recognize it
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68–90 cm, large brownish-grey goose
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Black bill with an orange band across the middle
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Bright orange legs and feet
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Loud honking call
About the species
The Taiga Bean-Goose is a large goose with a brownish-gray body and a black bill marked by an orange band. Its loud honking carries well, and on the ground it often walks or even runs instead of staying near water.
It spends much of the day feeding in meadows, sometimes far from the shore, then returns to water later. When disturbed, it usually chooses to flee, and during its flightless moulting period it gathers in large flocks with young.
It breeds in northern Europe and Asia and migrates south for winter. Outside the breeding season it uses grassy tundra, marshy valleys, forest streams, and lakes, and it turns up on coasts, wetlands, and farmland during migration and winter.
Where to find
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On wet floodplain meadows by a river — in the early morning, feeding with short, deliberate steps, then slipping back to water or tall grass when disturbed.
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Along canal banks, ponds, and small lakes with reedbeds — watch the waterline for a flock grazing quietly and breaking into loud honking.
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On marshy fields and grassy lowlands outside the center — look for groups on the ground, heads popping up at every sound.
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In winter on seafronts and broad river reaches — loafing on the water by day, then walking ashore to feed on the edge of the grass at dusk.
You might also see
Sources
- eBird — Anser fabalis Sightings map and full description on eBird
- Wikipedia — Taiga bean goose Encyclopedia article