Brent Goose vs Northern Shoveler
Branta bernicla compared with Spatula clypeata
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Brent Goose | Northern Shoveler |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Branta bernicla | Spatula clypeata |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 63.9 cm (25.2 in) | 45.3 cm (17.8 in) |
| Weight | 1335.0 g (47.09 oz) | 631.5 g (22.28 oz) |
| Diet | Primarily herbivorous; grazes aquatic plants, grasses, and sedges; swans upend in shallow water for submerged … | Eats seeds, aquatic plants, and invertebrates; dabbles in wetlands; broadly omnivorous diet shifts with season … |
| Clutch Size | 1-10 | 5-14 |
| 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.
Northern Shoveler
Breeds on freshwater prairie ponds, marshes, and lake margins across Eurasia and North America. Winters on coastal lagoons, estuaries, freshwater lakes, and rice paddies in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide.
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.
Northern Shoveler
Male gives a low, hollow took-took call; female produces a laughing, descending quacking series. Courtship includes head-bobbing displays accompanied by quiet nasal grunting calls.
Geographic Range & Migration
Brent Goose
Breeds across boreal and subarctic Canada and Alaska; winters in the southern United States, Mexico, and Central America.
Northern Shoveler
Breeds across sub-Arctic and boreal Eurasia; winters from the British Isles to China, Japan, and Southeast Asia.
Conservation Status
Brent Goose
Northern Shoveler
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.
Northern Shoveler
Breeding males have iridescent green head, white breast, and rufous-chestnut flanks. Yellow eye. Pale blue forewing and green speculum. Females mottled brown. Massive spatulate bill unique among ducks. Dimorphic.
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.
Northern Shoveler
A medium-sized duck with a dramatically large spatula-shaped bill perfectly adapted for filter-feeding. Males have an iridescent green head, white breast, chestnut flanks, and sky-blue wing patches. Highly migratory; one of the Northern Hemisphere's most widespread ducks.