Bean Goose - Poland (1 Viewer)

[AGDK]

Hello

Can anyone tell me if I have made the right ID with assuming this must be "Bean Goose (A.f.fabalis)" with those marked with numbers, or can it not be done so easily based on the bill?

Pictures are from today

Thanks

 

[aeshna5]

Look pretty good for fabalis.

 

[AGDK]

Look pretty good for fabalis.

Thanks for clarification

 

[kuzeycem]

Not very good at these but shouldn't fabalis show some size difference?

 

[Joern Lehmhus]

I would say the bill pattern gives you a hint , but Tundra can also be quite variable, thgough in average bill in tundra has more black. bill shape differs, also body size and neck length. , So, do you have more photos of your birds?

 

[Joern Lehmhus]

this shows some of the variability

Finnish Focus On...Taiga And Tundra Bean Geese

Have been meaning to write a post on Tundra and Taiga Bean Goose identification for a while now. Wildfowl are my guilty pleasure. I've alway...

helhathnobirdies.blogspot.com

Tundra / Taiga Bean Geese

Whats the difference ? ... and how can you tell which is which ? Cheers

www.birdforum.net

 

[lupokatja]

These seem to be well within the variation of Tundra Bean Geese to me. Bills like these occur (at least at my local patch) in every 50+ individuals or so.

Cheers,
Lützen Portengen

 

[AGDK]

I see that the final conclusion is a bit more unclear than first reply.. I found another picture from same day of another one, which for me could be a good candidate for a Fabalis.. Seems bigger than the rest, bill-shape and seems lighter on the back.. I'm still not sure.. Trying to learn the differences.. Can anyone comment on the last 2 pictures..

Thanks

 

[AGDK]

I haven't received any feedback on my last pictures here.. Is it too difficult to determine the correct ID on it?

Any inputs are welcome, since I'm still trying to learn how to be sure, based on the birds I see..

Thanks

 

[Joern Lehmhus]

Seems to me a good candidate also to me, but do you have more photos of that one ?

 

[AGDK]

Hi Joern

Thanks for your feedback.. I have attached a couple of pictures more.. "Fab" I'm sure is the same bird.. "Fab1" I assume is the same bird.. That picture is taken from different position a bit earlier.. It was a huge group..

 

[Joern Lehmhus]

A bit less clear to me from these photos, sorry...
I find it often easier when you see them in the field ... also it is a few years since I have last seen Taiga bean goose .

 

[AGDK]

Thanks for your last input.. I see it's harder to make correct ID of these Bean geese's than I thought..

 

[Xenospiza]

Taiga Bean Geese are the subject of much discussion in the Netherlands where they are a rarity nowadays.
They are absolutely horrendous to identify, because there are many yellow-billed Tundra Bean Geese as well...

I think the three birds on the "Fab1" picture would pass as fabalis with those rather narrow, mostly yellow bills.
In most other cases I am less inclined to give my opinion – bird 1 on "geese.jpg" looks very interesting though, as it stands out among the obvious rossicus.

 

[AGDK]

Thanks also for your last reply.. They are also sort of rare here in Poland, or at least not so often reported in the region, where I live.. That's why I'm trying to learn how to see the difference, but I have learned also from reading other places, that it's a rather difficult, because the variation on Tundra Bean Geese can be very big, as also mentioned earlier here..

 

[Joern Lehmhus]

Taiga Bean Geese are the subject of much discussion in the Netherlands where they are a rarity nowadays.
They are absolutely horrendous to identify, because there are many yellow-billed Tundra Bean Geese as well...

I think the three birds on the "Fab1" picture would pass as fabalis with those rather narrow, mostly yellow bills.
In most other cases I am less inclined to give my opinion – bird 1 on "geese.jpg" looks very interesting though, as it stands out among the obvious rossicus.

yes- they could be ... as you say, in this single photo bill shape seems ok for all three -and they all seem to be similar in size- but I would prefer to see a series of photos from these 3.
As far as I understood there are no more photos?

I agree also that bird 1 on the first photo lets you think of fabalis but photo is not that sharp and bird doesn´t look that large to me ....

concerning rarity this sadly seems similar in (western) northern Germany ...
The last Taiga bean goose types (different race) I saw was during a working stay in Northern China ...

 

[AGDK]

Hi Joern

No, I don't have any other pictures that shows different angle or features.. Only more pictures of same position/angle..

I leave this for now and give a big thanks for all the inputs, which have learned me some more..