Redhead vs Brent Goose
Aythya americana compared with Branta bernicla
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Redhead | Brent Goose |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Aythya americana | Branta bernicla |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 43.7 cm (17.2 in) | 63.9 cm (25.2 in) |
| Weight | 1055.0 g (37.21 oz) | 1335.0 g (47.09 oz) |
| Diet | Dives for molluscs, crustaceans, and aquatic invertebrates in shallow coastal water; hard-shelled benthic prey dominates … | Primarily herbivorous; grazes aquatic plants, grasses, and sedges; swans upend in shallow water for submerged … |
| Clutch Size | 7-14 | 1-10 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Redhead
Breeds on prairie marshes and potholes in western North America. Winters on large bays, coastal waters, lakes, and reservoirs across the southern United States and Mexico. Large concentrations on Laguna Madre, Texas.
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
Redhead
Male gives a low, mewing may-heah call; female produces a purring, rolled quacking. The mewing, nasal call is unlike any other North American duck; flocks create a cat-like chorus.
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
Redhead
Breeds in boreal and temperate North America; winters from southern Canada to northern South America along both coasts.
Brent Goose
Breeds across boreal and subarctic Canada and Alaska; winters in the southern United States, Mexico, and Central America.
Conservation Status
Redhead
Brent Goose
How to Tell Them Apart
Redhead
Males have rounded rufous-red head; black breast and undertail; pale gray body. Blue-gray bill with white ring and black tip. Red eye. Females brown with paler face. Rounder head than …
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
Redhead
A medium-sized diving duck. Males have a rounded rufous-red head, black breast and rear, and grey body; females are brown. Highly parasitic breeder—females frequently lay eggs in other ducks' nests. Found across North America. Winters on large bays and coastal waters.
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.