Brent Goose vs West Indian Whistling-duck

Branta bernicla comparé à Dendrocygna arborea

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribut Brent Goose West Indian Whistling-duck
Nom scientifique Branta bernicla Dendrocygna arborea
Ordre Anseriformes Anseriformes
Famille Anatidae Anatidae
Statut de conservation Least Concern Near Threatened
Longueur
Envergure 63,9 cm (25.2 in) 51,3 cm (20.2 in)
Poids 1335,0 g (47.09 oz) 1030,0 g (36.33 oz)
Régime alimentaire Primarily herbivorous; grazes aquatic plants, grasses, and sedges; swans upend in shallow water for submerged … Eats grasses, sedges, and grains; migratory goose foraging in Arctic tundra in summer; overwinters on …
Taille de la couvée 1-10 4-16
Population Trend
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Habitat Comparison

Habitats partagés

Brent Goose only

West Indian Whistling-duck 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.

West Indian Whistling-duck

Freshwater lakes, mangrove swamps, palm savannas, and forested wetlands in the Greater and Lesser Antilles. Nests in palm crowns and hollow trees. Highly dependent on Caribbean wet forests and freshwater lagoons.

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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.

West Indian Whistling-duck

Chant

A loud, 3-syllable whistle 'whee-whee-whee'. The NT conservation status reflects population pressures. Less commonly heard than its more abundant whistling-duck relatives.

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Geographic Range & Migration

Brent Goose

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

West Indian Whistling-duck

Found in grassy wetlands and floodplains of Madagascar. Non-migratory and endemic to the island's eastern marshes.

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Statut de conservation

Least Concern

Brent Goose

Near Threatened

West Indian Whistling-duck

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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.

West Indian Whistling-duck

Plumage

Dark brown upperparts; head and neck dark with pale sides. Flanks black with bold white spots. Breast dark brown; belly blackish with white flank streaks. Long dark legs. Largest Dendrocygna. …

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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.

West Indian Whistling-duck

A large dark whistling-duck with brown and black plumage, a pale face, and chestnut underparts with dark streaks. Endemic to the Caribbean. The largest native duck in the West Indies; listed as Vulnerable due to hunting and habitat loss. Roosts communally in palms and forest trees.

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