Common Pochard vs Brent Goose
Aythya ferina compared with Branta bernicla
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Common Pochard | Brent Goose |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Aythya ferina | Branta bernicla |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Vulnerable | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 41.7 cm (16.4 in) | 63.9 cm (25.2 in) |
| Weight | 845.5 g (29.82 oz) | 1335.0 g (47.09 oz) |
| Diet | Eats molluscs, crustaceans, and aquatic invertebrates; dives in shallow water; diet dominated by hard-shelled benthic … | Primarily herbivorous; grazes aquatic plants, grasses, and sedges; swans upend in shallow water for submerged … |
| Clutch Size | 3-22 | 1-10 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Common Pochard
Breeds on freshwater lakes and marshes with emergent vegetation across Eurasia from Iceland and western Europe east to Siberia. Winters on large open lakes, reservoirs, and estuaries.
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
Common Pochard
Male emits a soft, wheezing purr; female gives a harsh, grating quacking series. The male's gentle, sibilant purring contrasts with the female's loud, grating call on European and Asian lakes.
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
Common Pochard
Breeds across northern and central North America; winters in Mexico, Central America, and along both US coasts.
Brent Goose
Breeds across boreal and subarctic Canada and Alaska; winters in the southern United States, Mexico, and Central America.
Conservation Status
Common Pochard
Brent Goose
How to Tell Them Apart
Common Pochard
Males have chestnut-red head and neck; black breast; pale gray body; black undertail. Red eye. Blue-gray bill with dark base and tip. Females brown with pale face and eye-ring. Gray …
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
Common Pochard
A medium-sized diving duck. Males have a rich chestnut-red head, black breast, and pale grey body; females are brown with a pale face. Widely distributed across Eurasia. Population declining sharply; Vulnerable on European Red List.
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.