Bean Goose populations

WeBS treatment of Bean Goose populations:

  • Reports to 2010/11 - Taiga Bean Goose, Tundra Bean Goose.
  • Reports from 2011/12 - As above with the addition of  'unspecified' Bean Goose.

Detail:

Two distinct populations of Bean Goose Anser fabilis winter in the UK, and although not unanimously accepted, most authorities would consider these to each belong to a separate subspecies, the Taiga Bean Goose A.f.fabalis and the Tundra Bean goose A.f.rossicus.

In Britain, Taiga Bean Geese are concentrated predominately in two areas: the Slamannan Plateau, in Falkirk, Scotland, and the Yare Marshes in Norfolk, England where they number in the lower hundreds.  Traditionally, records of unspecified Bean Goose other than from these two areas have been assumed to be Tundra Bean Goose.  Records away from the two principal sites for Taiga Bean Geese only occasionally reach double figures regardless of subspecies.  However, since WeBS counters have been submitting records through the online system, many of the Bean Goose reports include determination to subspecies. This indicates that Taiga Bean Goose occasionally occurs in small numbers away from the two principal sites and that Tundra Bean Goose are occasionally found associating with flocks of Taiga Bean Goose.

WeBS allocation of records for reporting purposes:

  • Taiga Bean Goose: all records of unspecified Bean Goose from either the Slamannan Plateau or the Middle Yare Marshes.  All records reported specifically as Taiga Bean Goose.
  • Tundra Bean Goose: All records reported specifically as Tundra Bean Goose.
  • Bean Goose (from winter 2011/12):  All records of Taiga Bean Goose, Tundra Bean Goose or unspecified Bean Goose.

WeBS reporting of annual trends:

  • Taiga Bean Goose:  WeBS does not calculate annual trends for this subspecies but rather reports trends derived from the annual winter census of birds at the two principal locations.  Monthly trends are derived from WeBS data.
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