>I am wondering why it is more likely that the Pink-footed Geese are
escapees
> than the Bean Goose or am I reading this wrong?

Gayle,
The Pink-footed Goose breeds in Greenland, Iceland and Svalbard and winters
in NW Europe. The Bean Goose breeds from Scandanavia east to Siberia and
winters in western and central Europe. So I suppose it could be summed up
as: which is more likely, a Siberian stray (Bean Goose) or an Greenland
stray (Pink-footed Goose)?

In addition to the Bean record from Bowerman Basin last winter, they've been
recorded in California as well as western Alaska. The Pink-footed has only
occured in the northeastern US and Canada (someone correct me if I'm wrong)
and not even all of those records have been accepted.

I'm not saying these AREN'T wild strays, but I think geographic range as
well as previous pattern of vagrancy is why the origin of the Pink-footed is
more in question.

Mike Donahue
Seattle