Eastern Spot-billed Duck vs Brent Goose
Anas zonorhyncha compared with Branta bernicla
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Eastern Spot-billed Duck | Brent Goose |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas zonorhyncha | Branta bernicla |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 53.6 cm (21.1 in) | 63.9 cm (25.2 in) |
| Weight | 1017.5 g (35.89 oz) | 1335.0 g (47.09 oz) |
| Diet | Eats fish, aquatic invertebrates, and amphibians; dives in freshwater rivers; serrated bill grips prey; fish … | Primarily herbivorous; grazes aquatic plants, grasses, and sedges; swans upend in shallow water for submerged … |
| Clutch Size | 7-9 | 1-10 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
Eastern Spot-billed Duck only
None
Brent Goose only
Eastern Spot-billed Duck
Freshwater lakes, rivers, marshes, and rice paddies in northeastern Asia from eastern Russia and Siberia through China, Korea, and Japan. Winters in southern China and southern Japan.
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
Eastern Spot-billed Duck
Female produces a loud, descending quacking series; male gives a low, nasal grunt. Vocalizations closely resemble the Indian Spot-billed Duck; pairs call antiphonally on East Asian wetlands.
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
Eastern Spot-billed Duck
Found in wetlands across Southeast Asia, from India to China, Vietnam, and Indonesia. Largely resident; local seasonal movements.
Brent Goose
Breeds across boreal and subarctic Canada and Alaska; winters in the southern United States, Mexico, and Central America.
Conservation Status
Eastern Spot-billed Duck
Brent Goose
How to Tell Them Apart
Eastern Spot-billed Duck
Brown body with pale buff face and throat; dark crown and eye stripe. Yellow-tipped black bill lacking the red spot of Indian Spot-billed Duck. Iridescent green speculum with white border. …
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
Eastern Spot-billed Duck
A large brown dabbling duck with a yellow-tipped black bill, without the red spot of its Indian relative, and a green speculum. Found across northeastern Asia. Partially migratory; breeds in northern China, Korea, and Siberia; winters farther south and east.
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.