Tundra Bean Goose

Tundra Bean Goose (Anser serrirostris) is a stocky grey goose with orange legs and a short, thick black bill carrying a variable orange band. The combination of body shape, bill structure, plumage pattern and voice provides the most useful field characters. Age, sex and season can alter its appearance, so identification should use several features rather than colour alone. This supports comparison with similar species in the field (Wikipedia, general species account).

It nests on open tundra and migrates to wetlands and farmland where it grazes vegetation and spilled grain. Its movements and social behaviour vary through the year, with breeding birds generally more dispersed and non-breeding birds more likely to gather where food is concentrated. Japanese records place it within the country's documented avifauna as a resident, migrant, visitor or introduced bird (Wikipedia, general species account; Wildlife of Japan occurrence records).