The Taiga Bean Goose (Anser fabalis) breeds from northern Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia east to eastern Siberia (Banks et al. 2007). This species winters in Great Britain, Europe, the Middle East, and southern Asia to eastern China and Japan (Banks et al. 2007). 

This species is accidental in Alaska in the Pribilof Islands where there is a specimen from St. Paul Island, which was initially reported as (A. f. sibiricus), but is now known (A. f. middendorffii), by Gabrielson and Lincoln (1959). Birds seen at the Iowa-Nebraska border (Peterjohn 1985, Williams 1985), at Cap-Tourmente, Quebec (Gosselin et al. 1988), Phelps County at Funk Lagoon, Nebraska (Grzybowski 1998), are thought to belong to this species (Banks et al. 2007). There are a handful of records from the east coast (e-bird database 2026). There is a record from the Yukon (ebird database 2026). There is also 1 single accepted record by the Washington Bird Records Committee of a photographed bird from Hoquiam in Grays Harbor County which stayed from 7-17 December 17, 2002 (Wahl et al. 2005, WBRC 2016). In British Columbia, Bean Geese have been recorded a few times but were either dismissed as escapees with their origin unknown or not to species until very recently(Toochin and Cecile 2025).

The Bean Goose was split into 2 species by the AOU in 2007 (Banks et al. 2007).

The Tundra Bean Goose (Anser serrirostris) breeds in the tundra zone from Novaya Zemlya and the Taimyr Peninsula east across northern Siberia to the Chukotski Peninsula (Banks et al. 2007). This species winters in northern Europe, Russia, Turkestan, China, and Japan. Records outside the west coast area in North America include 1 bird in Quebec at Cap-Tourmente; (David and Gosselin 1983) plus at least 5 other records for the province (e-bird database); a bird photographed in from Whitehorse, Yukon (Eckert 2000), with record records from Saskatchewan, Missouri, 2 records in Nova Scotia, multiples in New York and other Northeastern States (e-bird database). 

This species is accidental in Alaska in the Aleutian Islands (Amchitka), on the Pribilofs Islands (St. Paul Island), and St. Lawrence Island (Palmer 1976). This species group has started to turn up more along the west coast of North America in the past 20 years, likely partly due to better scrutiny given to migratory flocks of geese in the fall (J. Fenneman Pers. Comm.). California has 1 accepted record of Tundra Bean Goose by the California Bird Records Committee of a photographed bird found at Unit 1 of the Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge in Imperial County on 19 October 19, 2013 (Hamilton et al. 2007, Tietz and McCaskie 2017). Another record was not judged to exact species but was also accepted by the California Bird Records Committee of a long staying bird found and photographed at the Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge in Imperial County from November 9, 2010-January 12, 2011 (Hamilton et al. 2007, Tietz and McCaskie 2017).  There is 1 accepted record for Oregon for Tundra Bean Goose of a bird photographed at the Nestucca Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Tillamook County on November 9, 2014 (OFO 2016).  There is also a 2 records of this species from Alberta (e-bird database 2026).  With one photographed at Peenaquim Park in Lethbridge  on January 9, 2019 and another bird photographed in the Cochrane Lake area of Calgary October 16-21, 2024 (e-bird database 2026). To date there are no definitive records of Tundra Bean Goose in British Columbia.

The Identification of the Taiga Bean Goose is covered in newer North American Field Guides. This is a medium sized gray goose species measuring 90-100 cm in length, with a wingspan of 180-200 cm and the male weighs 5.1 kg and the female weighs 4.6 kg (Brazil 2009). This species is very similar to the Tundra Bean-Goose (Anser serrirostris), which it was closely related to and recently split.  Tundra Bean Geese are smaller on average measuring 78-89 cm in length, with a wingspan of 140-175 cm, and adult male birds weighing 3.2 kg and adult females weighing 2.8 kg (Brazil 2009).

The following description of Taiga Bean Goose is taken from Kirwan et al. (2024).

Adults (in Definitive Basic Plumage) have a brown gradient from the darker neck to the sootier and sometimes have white at the base of the bill. The upper body and mantle are medium brown with pale fringes on the feathers. Upperwing coverts are tinged grayish and flight feathers are blackish brown. The lower underparts, undertail coverts, and longest uppertail coverts are white (forming a conspicuous U-shaped band at the base of the tail in flight). The underwing coverts are grayish black. The legs and feet are orange and the irides are dark brown. 

The juvenile is similar to the adult but duller, and juvenile mantle feathers and upperwing coverts are more rounded with more conspicuous pale fringes. The juvenile's head and neck are paler and less contrasting with the body, there is no white at the base of the bill, and the orange bill and legs are duller and grayer. First-year birds (Formative Plumage) obtain new formative feathers scattered over their backs and breasts, which are wider (squarer) and darker with crisper white tips. By spring, some birds have replaced most body feathers and some upperwing coverts and central rectrices, whereas others retain largely juvenile feathering.

Bean geese are separated from similar species of Anser by their medium size, being smaller than the Graylag Goose (Anser anser) and the Greater White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons), but larger than the Pink-footed Goose (Anser brachyrhynchus). The bill color of bean geese is primarily blackish with a yellow to orange base or subterminal band, differing from the largely orange to pink bills of the Graylag Goose and Greater White-fronted Goose, and the black and pink bill of the Pink-footed Goose. The Pink-footed Goose is also dumpier, with a rounder head, shorter bill, more buff-gray underparts, and bright pink legs (however, do note, that some Pink-footed Goose can show orange legs and some bean geese can have rosy bare parts). In flight, bean geese have darker upper and underwings than the Graylag Goose and Pink-footed Goose, showing little contrast between the wing coverts and remiges, and having a broad blackish tail band. Bean geese also have darker heads and upperparts than the other species, lacking the gray cast to the outer upperwing coverts and white around the bill of the Greater White-fronted Goose. However, some adult bean geese can have a variable amount of white at the bill base, especially above it. 

Juvenile Greater White-fronted Goose can also have a black nail and a largely pale bill, but bean geese are larger, longer billed, and more elongated.

The Taiga Bean-Goose is generally separable (with caution) from the Tundra Bean-Goose using bill coloration and structure: the Tundra Bean-Goose has a largely dark bill with a narrow subterminal yellow to orange band, while the Taiga Bean-Goose shows more extensive yellow to orange on the bill (although there is extensive overlap in these patterns). The Taiga Bean-Goose has a long, straight (occasionally slightly concave or convex) culmen and a distinct, narrow, bulbous nail. The bill appears heavy; its profile is often reminiscent of the Common Pochard (Aythya ferina). The cutting edge of the maxilla is straight with a slight downward curve at the base, whereas the Tundra Bean-Goose has a long to short and straight or convex culmen, and a short, often distinctly bulbous, nail, and the overriding impression is of a short, deep, wedge-shaped bill. Considerable variation in these features as related to subspecies and age need to be accounted for to reliably separate the two bean geese species.

The Taiga Bean Goose is an accidental vagrant in British Columbia with only one definitive recent record which makes this a new species added to the province avifauna. 

There are 3 previous reports of Bean Geese in British Columbia. The first was a single bird seen and photographed at Deadman Lake in the Okanagan Valley from April 14-26, 1982 (Cannings et al. 1987). The bird thought to be an escapee since it was a Taiga Bean Goose or a bird belonging to the European subspecies at that time (Cannings et al. 1987). Given what is now known about this species vagrancy pattern in North America, this record should be re-examined, as both species of Bean Geese have many North American records both from coastal locations and from inland regions of the continent than when this bird was first reported (R. Toochin Pers. Obs.). The second was reported with Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) by Guy and Donna Monty at the Englishmen River in Parksville on April 3, 2005 (Toochin and Cecile 2025). The bird was thought by the observer to be a likely escapee as it was with a flock of non-migratory geese (J. Fenneman Pers. Comm.). The third bird was found by Guy Monty and Rich Mooney Somass Estuary, Port Alberni on November 13, 2009 (Toochin et al. 2014a). Distant photographs were obtained of the bird overhead in flight (J. Fenneman Pers. Comm.). There is no doubt a Bean Goose was seen, unfortunately it is not possible to tell which type from the photographs (J. Fenneman Pers. Comm.).

The latest record which for now can clearly be called the first for the province were 2 birds that were found and photographed by Emma Young-Wood and have been observed by many others in the estuary region of Port Renfrew from February 2-8, 2026 (E. Young-Wood Pers. Comm.). The photographs that have been taken are point blank and leave little doubt as to the identification of the birds in question. 

It seems highly likely with scrutiny given to migrating flocks of geese, especially along the west coast; this species will be re-found in the future.

1.(2) adults February 2-8, 2026: Emma Young-Wood, mobs (photo) Port Renfrew (E. Young-Wood Per. Comm.)

1.(1) adult April 14-26, 1982: (photo) Deadman Lake in the Okanagan Valley (Cannings et al. 1987)

2.(1) adult April 3, 2005: Guy and Donna Monty: Englishmen River in Parksville on (Toochin and Cecile 2025)

3.(1) adult November 13, 2009: Guy Monty and Rich Mooney Somass Estuary, Port Alberni [not identified to species] (Toochin and Cecile 2025)

 

Thanks to Don Cecile for editing the original manuscript. Thank to Jamie Fenneman for doing research for the original manuscript when this species was classified as Hypothetical. A big thanks to Emma Young-Wood for finding these birds and sharing her excellent pictures with us of the Port Renfrew Taiga Bean Geese. Also a big thanks to Geoffrey Newell  and Mike Ashbee for sharing their photos of the Taiga Bean Geese found in Port Renfrew. All photographs are used in here with the permission of the photographer and are protected by copyright law. Photographs are not to be reproduced, published or retransmitted on any website without the authorization of the photographer.

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