Brent Goose vs Cape Shoveler
Branta bernicla compared with Spatula smithii
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Brent Goose | Cape Shoveler |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Branta bernicla | Spatula smithii |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 63.9 cm (25.2 in) | 45.8 cm (18.0 in) |
| Weight | 1335.0 g (47.09 oz) | 629.75 g (22.21 oz) |
| Diet | Primarily herbivorous; grazes aquatic plants, grasses, and sedges; swans upend in shallow water for submerged … | Eats seeds, plant matter, and aquatic invertebrates; dabbles in shallow ponds; diet more invertebrate-rich in … |
| Clutch Size | 1-10 | 5-12 |
| 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.
Cape Shoveler
Freshwater and saline lakes, estuaries, and wetlands across southern Africa from Zimbabwe south to the Cape. Most common on the Western Cape. Tolerates saline habitats better than most ducks.
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.
Cape Shoveler
Male utters a low, grunting tok note; female produces a series of soft quacks. Pairs vocalize quietly at Cape wetlands; female's quacking call is louder and more emphatic than male's.
Geographic Range & Migration
Brent Goose
Breeds across boreal and subarctic Canada and Alaska; winters in the southern United States, Mexico, and Central America.
Cape Shoveler
Breeds in sub-Arctic wetlands of Eurasia; winters on lakes and reservoirs from western Europe to eastern China and Japan.
Conservation Status
Brent Goose
Cape 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.
Cape Shoveler
Dull olive-brown body mottled dark; males slightly paler with yellow-orange eye. Pale blue-gray forewing and green speculum in flight. Long spatulate bill dark. Orange-yellow legs. Sexes similar. South African endemic.
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.
Cape Shoveler
A medium-sized shoveler with a characteristic large spatula-shaped bill. Males have yellow-orange eyes, brown head, and spotted brownish body; females are mottled brown. Endemic to southern Africa. Found mainly on the Western Cape's lakes and saline pans.