UK Wildlife

Bean Goose Scarce Arctic Visitor

The bean goose is a scarce winter visitor to the UK from Scandinavian and Siberian breeding grounds, with the taiga race from Scandinavia the most regularly seen in England.

Key Facts

Two races visit UK: taiga bean goose from boreal forest and tundra bean goose from Arctic
UK wintering numbers only a few hundred, with key sites in Norfolk and Stirlingshire
Similar in size to greylag with orange-yellow bill pattern and orange legs
Feeds on grassland, arable stubbles and wetland edges
European populations declining with loss of traditional wintering areas

Welfare Considerations

Bean geese are scarce in the UK and depend on a few key wintering sites that need careful management. Agricultural change reducing suitable foraging habitat and disturbance at roost sites threaten these small wintering flocks.

What You Can Do

Support protection of key UK bean goose wintering sites in Norfolk and Scotland
Minimise disturbance at roost and feeding sites when watching rare geese
Record bean goose through BTO Birdtrack to contribute to population monitoring