Bean Goose (Sädgås)

Characteristics:
The Bean Goose is a large and powerful goose, slightly smaller than the Greylag Goose, measuring 70–85 cm in length with a wingspan up to 170 cm.
Its plumage is dark grey-brown with a lighter belly and pale underparts.
The bill is dark with an orange band, and the legs are orange.
The head is dark with a glossy tone, and the tail has a white edge.
In flight, the wings appear dark with a pale leading edge.
Its call is a nasal, trumpet-like “ang-ang”, deeper in tone than the Greylag Goose’s honking.

Habitat:
The Bean Goose breeds in northern Scandinavia and northwestern Russia, but large flocks rest and overwinter in southern Sweden.
It prefers wetlands, lakes, open bogs, coastal meadows, and farmland.
During migration, it often feeds in stubble fields, beet fields, and meadows.

Behaviour:
The Bean Goose is social, wary, and alert.
During breeding it lives in pairs, but forms large flocks during migration and winter.
It often flies in V-formation, changing leaders frequently.

Diet:
The Bean Goose is herbivorous, feeding mainly on grass, seeds, herbs, grain, and roots.
In autumn and winter, it grazes extensively in agricultural fields.

Reproduction:
Breeding takes place in May–June.
The nest is built on the ground near water, often in bogs or along lake edges.
The female lays 4–6 eggs, incubated for 27–29 days.
The goslings leave the nest shortly after hatching, following their parents to nearby water, and become fully fledged after 8–9 weeks.

Migration:
The Bean Goose is a migratory species.
Swedish and Finnish populations migrate to Denmark, the Netherlands, and northern Germany for the winter.
Migration occurs in October–November, with return in March–April.

Distribution:
Occurs across northern Europe and Asia.
In Sweden, it breeds mainly in Lapland, but is seen during migration and winter in southern regions such as Skåne, Halland, and Östergötland.

Hunting:
The Bean Goose is a game species in Sweden according to the Hunting Ordinance (Bilaga 1).
Hunting season:

• Southern Sweden: 11 August – 31 December
• Northern Sweden: 21 August – 31 December

Hunting is usually conducted as flight hunting (morning and evening flights) or field hunting with decoys and blinds.

Firearm class (Sweden):
The species may be hunted with:

• Shotgun, typically using pellet size no. 3–5, or
• Rifle class 3 (for stalking or precise single shots).

Think for the hunting exam:

• Darker than the Greylag Goose, with orange legs and a dark bill with an orange band.
• Common as a migratory and staging species in southern Sweden.
• Eats grass, grain, and herbs.
• Flies in V-formation in large flocks.
• Ground nester, 4–6 eggs near water.
• Migratory, winters in Western Europe.
• Game species – hunting season August–December.
• Hunted with shotgun (no. 3–5) or rifle class 3.
• Wary and flock-living, requires good concealment and patience.