Lesser Scaup vs Brent Goose
Aythya affinis compared with Branta bernicla
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Lesser Scaup | Brent Goose |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Aythya affinis | Branta bernicla |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 39.6 cm (15.6 in) | 63.9 cm (25.2 in) |
| Weight | 853.75 g (30.12 oz) | 1335.0 g (47.09 oz) |
| Diet | Dives for molluscs, crustaceans, and aquatic invertebrates in coastal habitats; hard-shelled benthic prey dominates diet. | Primarily herbivorous; grazes aquatic plants, grasses, and sedges; swans upend in shallow water for submerged … |
| Clutch Size | 6-14 | 1-10 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Lesser Scaup
Breeds on boreal lakes, ponds, and wetlands in Canada and Alaska. Winters on large lakes, reservoirs, coastal bays, and freshwater across the southern United States, Mexico, and Central America. Often in large rafts.
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
Lesser Scaup
Male produces a soft, low purring call; female gives a harsh, nasal scaup sound. Voice nearly identical to Greater Scaup but slightly higher; flocks create a burbling, nasal chatter.
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
Lesser Scaup
Breeds in the forested interior of central Canada; winters on large lakes and rivers of the southeastern United States.
Brent Goose
Breeds across boreal and subarctic Canada and Alaska; winters in the southern United States, Mexico, and Central America.
Conservation Status
Lesser Scaup
Brent Goose
How to Tell Them Apart
Lesser Scaup
Males have peaked purple-glossed black head; white flanks; black breast and undertail; gray back. Yellow eye. Smaller than Greater Scaup with peaked crown. Females dark brown with white face patch. …
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
Lesser Scaup
A medium-sized diving duck nearly identical to Greater Scaup but with a peaked purple-glossed head, narrower bill nail, and smaller white wing stripe. The most abundant diving duck in North America. Breeds in boreal Canada and Alaska; winters across the southern United States and beyond.
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.