The bean goose (Anser fabalis) belongs to the family Anatidae. The bean goose is distributed in Europe and Asia. There are five recognized subspecies of these birds. The subspecies A. f. fabalis occur in Scandinavia and the Urals. They winter in Southeast Europe and Southwest Asia. A. f. johanseni occur in the Urals to Baikal. They winter in Turkmenistan, Iran and West China. The subspecies A. f. middendorffii occur in East Siberia and Baikal. They winter in East China and Japan. The subspecies A. f. rossicus occur in Siberia and winter in Europe and southwest Asia. A. f. serrirostris occurs in Siberia.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) had categorized and evaluated these goose species and had listed them as of 'Least Concern'.
The male goose is a large bird. There is size variance among the subspecies. The male bird of subspecies A. f. fabalis measures 65 to 90 cm in length and weighs 2,700 to 4,000 grams. The female goose weighs 2,200 to 3,500 grams. The wing spans from 140 to 180 cm. The bill of the goose is black at the base and tip, and orange across the middle. The legs and the webbed feet are bright orange. The upper wing-coverts of the goose are dark brown with narrow white fringes to the feathers.
This goose is found to breed in lakes, pools and rivers in high Arctic or taiga zone. They feed on grasses, herbs, berries, grain, bean and vegetables. The breeding season starts from May.
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| Indian birds - Bean goose - Anser fabalis |
| Biological classification of Anser fabalis | |
|---|---|
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Anseriformes |
| Family: | Anatidae |
| Subfamily: | Anserinae |
| Genus: | Anser |
| Species: | A. fabalis |
| Binomial name: | Anser fabalis |
| Distribution: | Indian Subcontinent, Europe and Asia |
| Feeding habits: | herbs, grasses, berries, grain, beans, carrots |
| IUCN status listing: |  Least Concern |
Image source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bean.goose.600pix.jpg
Author: Adrian Pingstone | License: public domain
Current topic in Birds of India: Bean goose - Anser fabalis.