Bean Goose
Latin: Anser fabalis (Latham 1787)
Svenska: Sädgås
Deutsch: Saatgans
Large numbers of bean geese gather in Uppland in the autumn. They stop near large lakes until the ice sets in, then continue southwards to open water. Some of these geese come from northern Sweden, but most of them have probably flown in from the wetlands of Russia. The former raise their young in Dalarna, and the latter in the Russian tundra.
If you want to see a bean goose, try Hjälstaviken. In the spring, you should visit in March or April, and in the autumn, try September or October.
The first bean geese show up in Uppland in mid-August, though the largest flocks gather in early October. The bean goose heads southwards slowly but surely, spending the winter in Skåne (southern Sweden), Denmark, and northern continental Europe. In the spring, they arrive as early as February, especially in mild winters. The largest springtime flocks will gather in mid-April, then begin heading northwards to find their nesting places.
Photo: Kent-Ove Hvass©
Latest sightings of bean geese in Uppland
NatureGate on the bean goose
Wikipedia article on the bean goose