Changes in local distribution and numbers of staging and wintering Bean Geese Anser fabalis in Scania, south Sweden 1977/1978–2016/2017

Abstract

Scania in southern Sweden is an important staging and wintering province for the Bean Goose Anser fabalis, especially for the Taiga form A. f. fabalis. Based on counts in October, November and January 1977/1978–2016/2017, and observations of neck-banded individuals, the changes in local distribution are described. When the counts started, large numbers were counted already in October, but autumn numbers steadily decreased as the geese stayed further north in Sweden. The January counts on the other hand increased as the geese wintered in Scania in successively larger numbers rather than leaving Sweden. In January 2017, more than 40,000 or two-thirds of the global population of Taiga Bean Goose were counted in Scania. Within the province, more and more geese concentrated to inland areas and instead of using the Öresund coastal region as in earlier years. Birds from different breeding areas, e.g. from Finland and Sweden, used different parts of Scania. In recent years 3000–9000 of Tundra Bean Geese Anser f. rossicus have been wintering in a small area in northeast Scania.

Leapfrog migration and residents: New migratory habits in Swedish Greylag geese

“…Unlike geese from the three northern capture sites, most of those from the southern (Svedala and Kristianstad) were resident in a very restricted area, with only short‐distance excursions locally or regionally. The number of Greylag geese wintering in southern Sweden has increased steadily from almost zero to ⁓60,000 during the last 30 years (Nilsson et al, 2020 ), but the origin of these birds has been largely unknown. The present study demonstrates that non‐migratory behavior is common among Greylag geese breeding in southernmost Sweden, and that they do very limited movements overall during the annual cycle.…”

“…Later studies reported winter partial short stopping from more southern populations in the same flyway of Greylag geese (Månsson et al, 2022 ; Podhrázský et al, 2017 ; Ramo et al, 2015 ). In addition, there has been a recent and rapid increase in Greylag geese wintering in southern Sweden, some of which are known local breeders (Nilsson & Kampe‐Persson, 2018a ; Nilsson et al, 2020 ). Evidence from throughout the flyway thus indicates recent significant changes in migration habits in Greylag geese in Western Europe.…”

Learning from long time series of harvest and population data: Swedish lessons for European goose management

“…western management unit, Marjakangas et al 2015). The majority of bean geese migrating through and wintering in Sweden is of the taiga subspecies (A. f. fabalis) breeding in western Russia and Finland, but the tundra subspecies (A. f. rossicus or serrirostris) from more northern and eastern breeding grounds seems to be increasing in numbers (Nilsson 2017). The bean goose is harvested in Sweden, but the open hunting season has been questioned as the fabalis subspecies population is relatively small and its trajectory debated (Marjakangas et al 2015).…”