Brant Goose

Branta bernicla

Genus · Black Geese Family · Ducks, Geese, and Swans
Observation tips Difficulty: MODERATE
Best time
🕒 Any
Activity
☀️ Diurnal
Best months
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Observation habitat
MarineMarshRiver

Look for them on coastal mudflats at low tide in winter. They look almost black from a distance when sitting on the water.

Brant Goose
Stats
Wingspan105–117 cm
Weight880–2200 g
Length55–62 cm
Lifespan wild10–19 yrs
Size
XS
S
M
L
XL
Nesting
Nest typeScrape
Clutch size3–5 eggs
Incubation22–26 days
Breeding months
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Regional Status (Europe)
LC
Least Concern (Europe)
IUCN Red List
MigrationMigratory
Social BehaviourFlocking

Diet: Herbivore

🌱Grass
🍃Plants

Habitat

🌊 Marine🌾 Marsh🏞️ River❄️ Tundra
✦ Fun Fact

In the 1930s, a blight struck eelgrass, and the Brant Goose population crashed. They have since adapted to graze on agricultural fields near the coast.

About

A small, dark goose, only slightly larger than a Mallard. It is a coastal bird that breeds in the Arctic tundra. Brant Goose spends winters on coastal waters and salt marshes of Western Europe. It has a black head and neck with a small white 'necklace' on the side. The 'dark-bellied' variety is the most common in Europe.

Behaviour

Brant Geese stay near the coast outside the breeding season. They eat eelgrass, sea lettuce, and salt-marsh grasses. They move in large, low-flying flocks. These flocks lack the disciplined V-formation of larger geese. Their call is a soft, guttural 'rronk-rronk'.

Similar species

Barnacle Goose
🐦
Barnacle Goose
Branta leucopsis
Canada Goose
🐦
Canada Goose
Branta canadensis
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