- Branta bernicla
Also known as Brant Goose.
Description
Dark Bellied Brent is a small goose with black head and neck (except for a white spot on each side of the neck), sharply demarcated from the lower breast, belly, and flank which is light greyish-brown. The back and wing coverts are darker brown, wing tips black, and the vent and under-tail coverts as well as upper-tail coverts (only visible in flight) are white. The tail itself is black. Bill and legs and feet are black.
Pale-bellied Brent has a much paler belly almost without contrast between vent/undertail and belly. Otherwise similar to Dark-bellied.
Black-bellied Brent has a much darker central belly and breast, almost without contrast between upper breast and lower breast, where the other forms are sharply demarcated. On the other hand, this form has a white flank in contrast both up and down to darker areas, but almost as light as the undertail. The white spot on the side of the neck is often much stronger, and can be continues at the back of the neck.
Immatures of all forms lack the white neck marking, and has white edges to feathers on the wings and back that produces a scaly impression.
Distribution
Dark Bellied Brent breeds in Siberia except for the eastern part, and winters e.g., in Europe where it is more common than Pale-bellied Brent. Pale-bellied Brent breeds in Franz Josef Land, Svalbard, Greenland and northeastern Canada, wintering in Denmark, northeast England, Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland and the Atlantic coast of the United States from Maine to Georgia. Black Brant breeds in north-east Siberia to most of Canada, winters to China and Mexico; it is a rare visitor in Europe and British Isles.
Taxonomy
This species has four subspecies, but is normally subdivided into three groups; these three groups have recently been suggested as incipient species, in other words many people expect a split to happen sooner or later. The three groups are:
- Dark Bellied Brent = subspecies bernicla.
- Black Brant = Black-bellied Brent = subspecies nigricans + orientalis.
- Pale-bellied Brent Goose = subspecies hrota.
Habitat
Behaviour
Bird Song
<flashmp3>Branta bernicla (song).mp3</flashmp3>
Listen in an external program