Green-winged Teal vs Brent Goose
Anas carolinensis compared with Branta bernicla
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Green-winged Teal | Brent Goose |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas carolinensis | Branta bernicla |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 35.0 cm (13.8 in) | 63.9 cm (25.2 in) |
| Weight | 330.5 g (11.66 oz) | 1335.0 g (47.09 oz) |
| Diet | Eats aquatic invertebrates, molluscs, and seeds; dives in shallow water; diet shifts between invertebrates and … | Primarily herbivorous; grazes aquatic plants, grasses, and sedges; swans upend in shallow water for submerged … |
| Clutch Size | -- | 1-10 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Green-winged Teal
Breeds on boreal and subarctic wetlands across North America. Winters on freshwater marshes, coastal estuaries, rice paddies, and shallow wetlands from the southern United States to Central America and the Caribbean.
Brent Goose
Breeds on high-Arctic tundra; winters on estuaries, coastal mudflats, saltmarshes, and sea-grass beds along Atlantic and Pacific coastlines. One of the most strictly coastal wintering geese.
Song & Call Comparison
Green-winged Teal
Male produces a high, clear krick call; female gives a subdued quack. Closely related to Common Teal; male's ringing call punctuates North American freshwater marshes in spring.
Brent Goose
A low, guttural 'rronk' or 'ronk-ronk' from flocks. Soft nasal calls in feeding groups. A subtle, understated call for a goose — less loud than most Anser geese.
Geographic Range & Migration
Green-winged Teal
Breeds in Arctic regions; winters at sea across the North Pacific, from Alaska to Japan and northern California.
Brent Goose
Breeds across boreal and subarctic Canada and Alaska; winters in the southern United States, Mexico, and Central America.
Conservation Status
Green-winged Teal
Brent Goose
How to Tell Them Apart
Green-winged Teal
Males have chestnut head with iridescent green eye patch; gray body; vertical white shoulder stripe (vs. horizontal in Common Teal). Cream and black undertail. Females mottled brown. Smallest North American …
Brent Goose
Small; mostly black head, neck, and breast. Small white neck-patch on adults. Back dark brownish-gray; belly pale gray to white depending on subspecies. White undertail coverts. Sexes similar.
About These Birds
Green-winged Teal
A small dabbling duck, the North American counterpart to Common Teal. Males have a rich chestnut head with broad metallic green eye-stripe, finely vermiculated grey body, and a distinctive white vertical breast stripe. One of North America's most abundant ducks.
Brent Goose
A small dark-bodied goose with a black head and neck, small white neck patches, and pale grey belly. Migrates between high-Arctic breeding grounds and temperate coastal wintering areas. Feeds on eel-grass and saltmarsh vegetation in winter. Three subspecies differ in belly coloration.