Brent Goose vs White-headed Duck
Branta bernicla verglichen mit Oxyura leucocephala
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Merkmal | Brent Goose | White-headed Duck |
|---|---|---|
| Wissenschaftlicher Name | Branta bernicla | Oxyura leucocephala |
| Ordnung | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Familie | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Erhaltungsstatus | Least Concern | Endangered |
| Länge | — | — |
| Flügelspannweite | 63,9 cm (25.2 in) | 29,7 cm (11.7 in) |
| Gewicht | 1335,0 g (47.09 oz) | 705,0 g (24.87 oz) |
| Ernährung | Primarily herbivorous; grazes aquatic plants, grasses, and sedges; swans upend in shallow water for submerged … | Dives for aquatic invertebrates, seeds, and plant roots in Mediterranean and Central Asian wetlands. Critically … |
| Gelegegröße | 1-10 | 3-10 |
| 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.
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.
White-headed Duck
Male produces a mechanical, rapid bill-drumming; female gives a harsh, grating quack. The drumming staccato display is the same pattern as other Oxyura stiff-tails; heard on Eurasian steppe lakes.
Geographic Range & Migration
Brent Goose
Breeds across boreal and subarctic Canada and Alaska; winters in the southern United States, Mexico, and Central America.
White-headed Duck
Breeds in Spain, Turkey, central Asia, and Mongolia. Winters in the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and northern India. Globally endangered.
Erhaltungsstatus
Brent Goose
White-headed 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.
White-headed Duck
Male has entirely white head with small black crown patch, rich chestnut-brown body, and large bulbous powder-blue bill. Female is brown with pale whitish face divided by dark streak across …
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.
White-headed Duck
A stiff-tailed duck (~705 g) of family Anatidae, males with a distinctive white head and swollen blue bill. Breeds on brackish and freshwater lakes in Spain and Central Asia; winters in Mediterranean and Central Asian wetlands. Dives for aquatic vegetation and invertebrates. Endangered due to hunting, hybridization with introduced Ruddy Duck, and wetland loss.