This taiga-breeding form of the Bean Goose (Anser fabalis), sometimes distinguished in Swedish simply as the "forest goose," is a large, dark grey goose recognised by its long, dark bill marked with an orange band near the tip and its orange legs. It measures 68–88 cm in length with a wingspan of roughly 140–174 cm, and an adult weighs several kilograms. The plumage is dark brownish-grey with paler barring on the flanks, and the head and neck are often noticeably darker than the rest of the body. Compared with the closely related Tundra Bean Goose, this form has a longer bill and neck, giving it a more elongated, stately look, while its uniformly dark plumage and lack of the Greylag's pale grey forewing separate it from that more common species; up close, the orange legs and bill band are the clinching marks, while at range the long, dark silhouette alone is usually enough.
Its call is a deep, cackling "ang-ang-ang," darker and less whining than the Greylag's, most often heard from flocks moving between roost sites and feeding fields in the early morning or evening. In Sweden it breeds in the taiga bogs and forest landscape of northern Norrland, where the population is estimated at 10,000–15,000 pairs; the female lays 4–6 eggs in a well-hidden ground nest near water, and families remain together through the autumn migration and winter. Outside the breeding season, flocks move south to winter on farmland, grazing on waste grain, green crops, ley and root-crop remains, often alongside other geese, and undisturbed resting sites are important for building up the reserves needed for the return journey north in spring. The species is classified as Least Concern.
Read about this species in Swedish →