The taiga bean goose is a large goose with a small head that resembles the pink-footed goose but with an elongated head and bill. It is very similar to the tundra bean goose, but has a slightly longer neck, and more orange on its bill. However, there is a wide overlap between the two so identification in the field is difficult. The taiga and tundra bean geese are sometimes considered subscpecies, but genetic sequencing shows they diverged about 2.5 million years ago until contact about 60,000 years ago which resulted in genes flowing between the two species.
Wintering birds: 410 birds
Family: Ducks, geese and swans
Adult taiga bean geese have brown upperparts with white tips on the upperwing creating narrow, white bars on the back. On the underparts, the breast is pale brown, the belly is white, and the underwing is dark brown. The tail is brown with fine white bars and white undertail coverts.
The head and neck are brown. The bill is black with an orange band and black tip, the eyes are dark brown, and the legs and feet are orange.
Males are females are similar, but the female is smaller.
Juvenile taiga bean geese resemble the adults, but the plumage is paler and duller and has less barring.
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Taiga bean geese start breeding in May and June and produce 1 brood a season. They are monogamous and form long-term pair bonds. They breed in marshes on the ground usually beneath a tree. The nest is placed on a hummock and is made from grasses, moss, and other vegetation.
Taiga bean geese lay 4-5 white eggs which are incubated by the female alone for 27-29 days. Chicks are precocial and covered in olive-brown and yellow down. They leave the nest soon after hatching and follow their parents to feed. They fledge at about 40 days but rely on their parents for a few more weeks. They reach sexual maturity at 2 or 3 years.
Taiga bean geese eat plant material including grass, seeds, leaves, roots, grain, and nuts. They will also take agricultural crops including corn, rice, barley, wheat, soy beans, potatoes, and beets. They feed in flocks sometimes with hundreds of birds as well as other species and forage by walking along the ground. Taiga bean geese start breeding in May and June. They are monogamous and form long-term pair bonds. They breed in marshes on the ground usually beneath a tree. The nest is placed on a hummock and is made from grasses, moss, and other vegetation.
Taiga bean geese lay 4-5 white eggs which are incubated by the female alone for 27-29 days. Chicks are precocial and covered in olive-brown and yellow down. They leave the nest soon after hatching and follow their parents to feed. They fledge at about 40 days but rely on their parents for a few more weeks. They reach sexual maturity at 2 or 3 years.
Taiga bean geese can be seen in the UK between October and March. Look out for them on fields, wet pastures, and arable land around the east coasts of England and Scotland.
The taiga bean goose gets both its English and scientific name from its habit of grazing in bean fields in winter. Fabalis is derived from the Latin faba meaning ‘broad bean’.
