Brent Goose vs Lake Duck
Branta bernicla compared with Oxyura vittata
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Brent Goose | Lake Duck |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Branta bernicla | Oxyura vittata |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 63.9 cm (25.2 in) | 27.6 cm (10.9 in) |
| Weight | 1335.0 g (47.09 oz) | 665.0 g (23.46 oz) |
| Diet | Primarily herbivorous; grazes aquatic plants, grasses, and sedges; swans upend in shallow water for submerged … | Dives for aquatic invertebrates and plant seeds in South American freshwater lakes and marshes. Feeds … |
| Clutch Size | 1-10 | 3-5 |
| 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.
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.
Lake Duck
Male produces a mechanical, drumming staccato call; female gives a soft, nasal quack. Drumming display resembles other Oxyura stiff-tails; heard at dawn on Andean and Patagonian lakes.
Geographic Range & Migration
Brent Goose
Breeds across boreal and subarctic Canada and Alaska; winters in the southern United States, Mexico, and Central America.
Lake Duck
Resident in southern South America from central Chile and central Argentina south to Tierra del Fuego. Found on lowland lakes and lagoons.
Conservation Status
Brent Goose
Lake 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.
Lake Duck
Male is dark chestnut-brown with black head, pale whitish-grey cheeks, and cobalt-blue bill. Female is brownish-buff with streaked upperparts and a distinctive pale supercilium; undertail coverts whitish.
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.
Lake Duck
A stiff-tailed duck (~665 g) of southern South America, family Anatidae, with males displaying ruddy plumage and a bright blue bill. Inhabits freshwater lakes, ponds, and marshes from Brazil to Patagonia. Dives for aquatic plants, seeds, and invertebrates. Least Concern; notable for the proportionally longest penis of any vertebrate relative to body size.