Bean goose

    Anser fabalis

Castilian: Ánsar campestre

Catalan: Oca pradenca

Gallego: Ganso campestre

Euskera: Antzara hankahoria

CLASIFICACIÓN:

Orden: Anseriformes

Family: Anatidae

Migratory status: Winter resident

CONSERVATION STATUS:

In the 2004 edition of the Red Book of Spanish Birds (Libro Rojo de las Aves de España) it is listed as “Critically Endangered”.

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THREATS

Hunting, changes in the use of farmland, and the drying up of wetlands have caused the species to change its wintering areas.

Length / size: 66-84 cm / 142-175 cm

Identification: Bird with dark brown plumage, especially on its head and neck, with white-edged feathers that give it a scaly look; the legs are orange just like the bill, which also has some black spots.

Song: It makes a deep, nasal, short noise that sounds like "ank yac".

Diet: It mostly feeds on grains, although when it is rearing chicks, its diet includes green shoots and fruits.

Reproduction: The construction of the nest is carried out by the female using twigs, grass, moss and down, while the male is responsible for its defense, establishing a small perimeter around the area. Although the chicks leave the nest immediately after hatching, they will not permanently leave until the following spring.

HABITAT

It occupies farmland, fallow land, pastureland, etc. When night falls, birds come together in roosts in wetlands.

DISTRIBUTION

In Spain: The populations in Vallafáfila and the Ricobayo dam have disappeared, and only isolated specimens and small disperse groups are found in some wetland areas.

In Castile and León: Very rare wintering species that can be found in the Ricobayo swamp (Zamora) and the surrounding areas.

Movements and migrations: Migrations from higher latitudes in Europe to the different wintering areas begin in September: to Great Britain, Denmark, Germany, Belgium, France, and Spain; the prenuptial passage to breeding areas takes place in March. Specimens currently prefer to winter in central European regions, which explains the reduction of the number of specimens in our country.

POPULATION

In Spain: Scattered specimens or small flocks are observed.

In Castile and León: