Brent Goose vs Whooper Swan

Branta bernicla comparé à Cygnus cygnus

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribut Brent Goose Whooper Swan
Nom scientifique Branta bernicla Cygnus cygnus
Ordre Anseriformes Anseriformes
Famille Anatidae Anatidae
Statut de conservation Least Concern Least Concern
Longueur
Envergure 63,9 cm (25.2 in) 116,4 cm (45.8 in)
Poids 1335,0 g (47.09 oz) 10350,0 g (365.09 oz)
Régime alimentaire Primarily herbivorous; grazes aquatic plants, grasses, and sedges; swans upend in shallow water for submerged … Dabbling duck feeding on seeds, aquatic insects, and plant material; forages in shallow wetlands; diet …
Taille de la couvée 1-10 2-12
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

Habitats partagés

Brent Goose only

Aucun(e)

Whooper Swan only

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.

Whooper Swan

Breeds on boreal and subarctic lakes and boggy pools from Iceland and Scandinavia across northern Eurasia to Siberia. Winters on large lakes, estuaries, rivers, and agricultural fields in northwestern Europe and eastern Asia.

Song & Call Comparison

Brent Goose

Chant

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.

Whooper Swan

Chant

A loud, ringing 'wh-OOH-wh-OOH' bugle. Less high-pitched than Trumpeter; similar to Tundra Swan but deeper. Pairs call in musical antiphony. Carries very far over water.

Geographic Range & Migration

Brent Goose

Breeds across boreal and subarctic Canada and Alaska; winters in the southern United States, Mexico, and Central America.

Whooper Swan

Breeds in Arctic tundra from Siberia to western Canada; winters along the Pacific coast from British Columbia to Mexico.

Statut de conservation

Least Concern

Brent Goose

Least Concern

Whooper Swan

How to Tell Them Apart

Brent Goose

Plumage

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.

Whooper Swan

Plumage

All-white plumage. Long yellow bill with large wedge-shaped yellow patch extending past nostrils, contrasting with black tip. Long flat head profile. Holds neck erect and straight. Juveniles pale gray-brown.

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.

Whooper Swan

A large all-white swan with a long neck and a distinctive yellow-and-black bill pattern—a large yellow wedge extending to the nostrils. The national bird of Finland. Calls with a bugling whooping resonance. Breeds in Eurasian subarctic; winters in northwest Europe and East Asia.

More Birds to Explore

Explore the Nature FYI Family