Brant

The Brant (called Brent Goose in Europe) is a small, compact sea goose with an almost entirely black head, neck, and breast, broken only by a small, thin white patch or necklace-like marking on the sides of the neck. The rest of the body is dark grayish-brown above with a paler belly, and a bright white rear end (undertail coverts) contrasts sharply with the dark plumage.

Unlike the Canada Goose, the Brant lacks a white cheek patch, showing instead an all-black head with just the small neck marking. It is among the most maritime of geese, rarely straying far from coastal waters.

Key field marks

• Small size compared to most geese
• All-black head, neck, and breast (no white cheek patch)
• Small white patch or partial necklace on the sides of the neck
• Bright white undertail coverts contrasting with a dark body
• Strongly tied to coastal and estuarine habitats

Similar species

• Canada Goose: Larger, with a bold white chinstrap patch across the face rather than the small neck-side patch of the Brant, and typically found in a much wider range of habitats including inland fields and parks.

Brant breed on coastal Arctic tundra across northern Canada, Alaska, Greenland, and Siberia, nesting near the coast on low-lying tundra.

In winter, they are highly dependent on coastal estuaries and bays with eelgrass beds, historically suffering major population declines during eelgrass die-offs, and remain one of the most strictly coastal and marine of all geese, rarely seen far inland.

Behavior

Brant are highly gregarious, forming large, tight flocks on coastal waters, and their populations and distribution have historically been closely tied to the health of eelgrass beds, their primary winter food source. They are strong fliers, often seen in long, wavering lines low over coastal waters during migration.

Voice

A low, guttural, rolling "cronk" or croaking call, softer and more guttural than the loud honk of larger geese.

Feeding

They feed primarily on eelgrass and marine algae in winter, foraging in shallow coastal waters and exposed mudflats at low tide, switching to tundra vegetation during the breeding season.

Nesting and breeding

Females nest on the ground on coastal Arctic tundra, often in loose colonies, laying 3-5 eggs; nesting success is closely tied to lemming population cycles, which influence predator behavior in a given year.