The Bean Goose is an uncommon winter migrant in the UK. There are two sub-species - the Taiga Bean Goose (anser fabalis fabalis) and the Tundra Bean Goose (anser fabalis rossicus). In Scotland there is a wintering flock of Taiga Bean Geese on Fannyside Moor near Cumbernauld which, in winter 2005/2006, numbered about 240 birds. These birds are notoriously wary and very difficult to approach making photography difficult. The Tundra Bean Goose is very rare in Scotland but in January 2006 a pair of birds were present at Skateraw, Lothian for over a week. In the winter of 2011/12 there was an unprecedented influx of Tundra Bean Geese to the UK, possibly an overshooting migrating flock.
Of interest is the news that part of the Taiga Bean Goose flock was canon netted in October 2011 and 15 birds were fitted with neck collars. Four birds were fitted with data logging tracking devices which will record the birds' locations thus enabling a picture to be built up showing their movement and breeding location. Sightings of the neck collared birds should be reported to angus.maciver@blueyonder.co.uk .
The identification of the two species is quite difficult, especially of a single bird on its own as the differences are quite subtle. It is relatively easier to pick out one rossicus in a flock of fabalis. See the first photo in the gallery which is a composite of a rossicus and a fabalis side by side for comparison.