
Goose Native To Siberia Seen in the Wild in New York State For The First Time
A bird, experts say is rarely ever seen in the United States, has been spotted in the wild in New York state for the first time in recorded history. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology confirmed multiple sightings of this species over the past week, according to the Times Union.
Some bird bloggers online have called these encounters an "incredible rarity".
To get here to New York, this species of waterfowl must have gone on quite the long journey - a trip that probably took it over four to five thousand miles across the world.
Goose Native of Siberia Seen in the Wild in New York State
The taiga bean goose is a goose that is normally found in Northern Europe and Asia. Sightings in the U.S. are very rare, though the Times Union says at least one taiga bean goose has recenlty been spotted near Ford Edward, Greenwich and other communities around Washington County, New York.
See Also: Rare Snowy Owl Spotted in New York State
The website Inwood Birder says that the goose was first spotted in Saratoga Lake a few weeks ago. It then reportedly disappeared, before popping up again in Washington County over the last week. The rare goose was seen in a number of farm fields with flocks of Canada Geese, according to the blog.
Independent scholar and renowned birdwatcher Zach Schwartz-Weinstein told Campus News New York that this is the first record of this species not only for New York, but for the entire U.S. East Coast.
Schwartz-Weinstein says that the goose seen in Washington County is "probably the same individual that spent part of November and December in Matane, Quebec, which was the first record for Eastern North America."
He goes on to tell CCCNews that the taiga bean goose was first sighted in New York at Saratoga State Boat Launch December 31 by a bird watcher named Karen Randall. The same goose was seen there again two days later, and then went missing for a week, "until John McKay rediscovered it at Fort Miller" January 9, according to Schwartz-Weinstein.
The taiga bean goose ranges from 27 to 35 inches in length, with a wingspan of 55 to 69 inches, and weighs around 3.7 to 8.8 pounds. according to Wikipedia. The taiga bean goose has a black bill at the base and tip, with an orange band across the middle, and legs and feet that are also bright orange.
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The taiga bean goose is sometimes mistaken for the tundra bean goose, which has a short bill.
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Gallery Credit: Traci Taylor
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