Anser fabalis middendorffii
Status: Rare casual winter visitor south and east.
Documentation: Photograph: 29 Dec 1984-10 Jan 1985 DeSoto NWR, Washington Co (Rose 1985, Wright and Grenon 1985).
Taxonomy: Former Bean Goose (Anser fabalis) consisting of five subspecies was split to two species, Taiga Bean Goose (Anser fabalis) with three subspecies fabalis, johanseni, and middendorffii, and Tundra Bean Goose (Anser serrirostris) with two subspecies serrirostris and rossicus (Banks et al 2007; (https://avibase.ca/BDB497A3). Gill et al (2022) suggest the split may have been premature, citing a study by Ruokonen et al (2008) that found genetic complexity between tundra- and taiga -breeding individuals.
Both Nebraska records are of A. f. middendorffii. See Comments.
Winter: An individual was found by Alan Grenon and Rick Wright with Snow Geese at Desoto NWR, Washington Co 29 Dec 1984-10 Jan 1985 (Wright and Grenon 1985). A photograph was published (Rose 1985) and many observers saw the bird, which was assignable to subspecies middendorffii. Presumably the same bird was at DeSoto NWR but in Pottawattamie Co, Iowa 5 Jan 1985 (Bill Huser, eBird Checklist – 5 Jan 1985 – DeSoto NWR (NE) – 1 species.
Another observed by Stephen Dinsmore with Greater White-fronted Geese at Funk WPA, Phelps Co 4 Apr 1998 was also identified as middendorffii (Brogie 1999; eBird Checklist – 4 Apr 1998 – Funk WPA – 1 species).
Comments: The eastern Siberian subspecies of Taiga Bean Goose A. f. middendorffii is rarely kept in captivity, which supports wild origin for a straggler to Nebraska (Bray et al 1986, Howell et al 2014).
A first state record for Iowa of Tundra Bean-Goose (A. serrirostris) was of one with Canada Geese in and near Lamoni, Decatur Co, and neighboring Harrison Co, Missouri 29 Nov 2022 through 17 Dec 2022 (eBird.org, accessed Jan 2023).
Images
Abbreviations
NWR: National Wildlife Refuge
WPA: (Federal) Waterfowl Production Area
Literature Cited
Banks, R.C., R.T. Chesser, C. Cicero, J.L. Dunn, A.W. Kratter, I.J. Lovette, P.C. Rasmussen, J.V. Remsen, Jr., J.A. Rising, and D.F. Stotz. 2007. Forty-eighth supplement to the American Ornithologists’ Union check-list of North American birds. Auk 124: 1109-1115.
Bray, T.E., B.K. Padelford, and W.R. Silcock. 1986. The birds of Nebraska: A critically evaluated list. Published by the authors, Bellevue, Nebraska, USA.
Brogie, M.A. 1999. 1998 (Tenth) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 67: 141-152.
Gill, F., D. Donsker, and P. Rasmussen (Eds). 2022. IOC World Bird List (v 12.2). Doi 10.14344/IOC.ML.12.2. http://www.worldbirdnames.org/
Howell, S.N.G., I. Lewington, and W. Russell. 2014. Rare birds of North America. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey, USA.
Rose, B.J. 1985. (photograph). NBR 53: 3.
Ruokonen M., K. Litvin, and T. Aarvak. 2008. Taxonomy of the bean goose – pink-footed goose complex. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 48: 554–562.
Wright, R., and A.G. Grenon. 1985. Three species of Siberian Geese seen in Nebraska. NBR 53: 3-4.
Recommended Citation
Silcock, W.R., and J.G. Jorgensen. 2023. Taiga Bean-Goose (Anser fabalis). In Birds of Nebraska — Online. www.BirdsofNebraska.org
Birds of Nebraska – Online
Updated 6 Apr 2023