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The Birds Of South Gloucestershire          Taiga Bean Goose - anser fabilis fabilis

 

Bean Goose is a rare winter visitor to the UK and there are two regular wintering flocks of 'Taiga' Bean Goose in Norfolk and Scotland. A formerly regular flock in Dumfries and Galloway no longer occurs there. Tundra Bean Goose has no regular wintering sites but is found in small groups among other grey goose species and among the most regular localities are Slimbridge WWT in Gloucestershire and Holkham Marshes in Norfolk. Bean Goose gets its English and scientific names from the Latin word 'faba' meaning bean and from its habit in the past of grazing in bean field stubbles in winter.

 

There has been just one Taiga Bean Goose reported from S. Gloucestershire;

 

1998: (1)

On March 1st a single bird was reported in flight south-west around mid-day past Oldbury Power Station. The description provided to the county recorder suggested the nominate form Taiga Bean Goose: Anser f. fabilis. This occurrence constitutes the first report of this species for S. Gloucestershire. (DH Payne and L Payne)

 

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