Brent Goose vs Labrador Duck
Branta bernicla compared with Camptorhynchus labradorius
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Brent Goose | Labrador Duck |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Branta bernicla | Camptorhynchus labradorius |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Extinct |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 63.9 cm (25.2 in) | — |
| Weight | 1335.0 g (47.09 oz) | 673.5 g (23.76 oz) |
| Diet | Primarily herbivorous; grazes aquatic plants, grasses, and sedges; swans upend in shallow water for submerged … | Extinct; soft spatulate bill suggests feeding on soft-shelled benthic molluscs and crustaceans in shallow coastal … |
| Clutch Size | 1-10 | -- |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
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.
Labrador Duck
Historically inhabited sandy coastal bays, estuaries, and mussel beds from Labrador to the mid-Atlantic United States. Extinct since 1878. Nesting grounds never confirmed; likely bred in Labrador.
Song & Call Comparison
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.
Labrador Duck
Extinct (EX). No recordings exist. This North American scoter relative likely gave a quiet, grunting call during display based on the bill morphology suggesting possible unusual vocalizations.
Geographic Range & Migration
Brent Goose
Breeds across boreal and subarctic Canada and Alaska; winters in the southern United States, Mexico, and Central America.
Labrador Duck
Formerly along the eastern coast of North America from Labrador to Chesapeake Bay. Extinct by 1878; last specimen shot in New York.
Conservation Status
Brent Goose
Labrador Duck
How to Tell Them Apart
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.
Labrador Duck
Extinct; males had white head and breast with black back, wings and belly; distinctive white wing patch. Broad bill with comb-like lamellae. Females brown. Last specimen 1875; first North American …
About These Birds
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.
Labrador Duck
An extinct sea duck from eastern North America; the first North American bird to go extinct after European contact. Males had boldly contrasting black-and-white plumage with an unusual flattened soft-edged bill adapted for filter-feeding on mussel beds. Last confirmed sighting in 1878.