Ducks, geese, and swans · Waterfowl
Brant
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Branta bernicla
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Voice
Call
Call
Call
How to recognize it
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Body length 55–66 cm
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Black head and neck
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Adults: white patches on the sides of the neck; near-complete collar in some subspecies
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Dark brown back and wings; belly from pale to almost black in different subspecies
About the species
The Brant has a dark, almost black head and neck above a brown back and wings. Small white patches mark each side of its neck, and the belly ranges from pale grey to nearly as dark as the back. In paler forms, the contrast between belly and back is clear. Its black tail is very short, with white feathers beneath.
In winter, they stay in loose family groups, sometimes alongside other groups. They once kept almost entirely to tidal estuaries, but in recent decades have also begun using fields a short way inland. On the breeding grounds, they nest in pairs or small colonies.
They breed on low, wet tundra along Arctic coasts and islands, then winter farther south on temperate sea coasts. Eelgrass and sea lettuce are important winter foods; on farmland, they also eat grass and winter-sown cereals. During the breeding season, they feed on grasses, mosses, lichens and algae.
Where to find
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In winter, scan the shores of tidal estuaries for Brant feeding on eelgrass and sea lettuce.
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In recent decades, they have also begun feeding on grass and winter-sown cereals in farmland a short distance inland from the coast.
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During the breeding season on low-lying wet coastal tundra, watch for feeding on grass, mosses, lichens and algae; nests are on elevated ground, often near a small pond.
