Birds · Anseriformes · Anatidae

Brent Goose

Branta bernicla

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The brent goose is a small, dark goose that breeds on the northernmost Arctic tundra and spends the winter in temperate marshes and bays, where it feeds almost exclusively on Zostera, a marine plant. That specialisation almost wiped it out: when a disease destroyed the Atlantic Zostera beds in the 1930s, the European and American populations collapsed within a few years.

Weight

1.2 kg – 2.3 kg

Size

55 cm – 66 cm

Lifespan

28 years

Diet

Herbivore

Feeds mainly on plants.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

TundraOceanFreshwaterGrasslandPolarHerbivore Diurnal Bird Tundra Ocean Freshwater Grassland Polar

17countries 27parks42same family

Fun facts

GeneralIn winter it depends almost entirely on eelgrass beds.
It is the type species of the genus Branta, created by Scopoli in 1769.
Its scientific name, bernicla, and the English name of its relative the barnacle goose both come from the same medieval myth about goose barnacles.
It is the most coastal of the black geese: it spends the winter hugging the sea and barely ventures inland.
Its dependence on a single plant almost finished it off: a disease that devastated the Atlantic Zostera beds in the 1930s brought its populations on both sides of the ocean crashing down within a few seasons.
Its European name comes from a medieval legend: it was believed to be born from the goose barnacles that grow on driftwood, because nobody had ever seen its nests, and that supposed shellfish nature made it acceptable to eat during Lent.
It breeds on the northernmost tundra on the planet and migrates to temperate latitudes, a journey the young make within a few weeks of hatching.