Brent Goose vs Wandering Whistling-duck

Branta bernicla comparé à Dendrocygna arcuata

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribut Brent Goose Wandering Whistling-duck
Nom scientifique Branta bernicla Dendrocygna arcuata
Ordre Anseriformes Anseriformes
Famille Anatidae Anatidae
Statut de conservation Least Concern Least Concern
Longueur
Envergure 63,9 cm (25.2 in) 37,2 cm (14.6 in)
Poids 1335,0 g (47.09 oz) 779,5 g (27.50 oz)
Régime alimentaire Primarily herbivorous; grazes aquatic plants, grasses, and sedges; swans upend in shallow water for submerged … Eats grasses, sedges, and aquatic plants in tundra; winter diet of coastal salt marsh grasses …
Taille de la couvée 1-10 6-15
Population Trend
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Habitat Comparison

Habitats partagés

Brent Goose only

Wandering Whistling-duck only

Aucun(e)

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.

Wandering Whistling-duck

Tropical freshwater marshes, flooded grasslands, swamps, and lake margins from the Philippines and Indonesia through Papua New Guinea to northern and eastern Australia. Nomadic following wet season flooding.

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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.

Wandering Whistling-duck

Chant

A soft whistle 'whi-whi-whi' in flight. Less vocal than other whistling-ducks; flocks tend to be quieter. Given at dawn and dusk during flight to roosting or feeding areas.

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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.

Wandering Whistling-duck

Breeds in Arctic and subarctic regions; winters at sea around the Antarctic pack ice, one of the longest migrations known.

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Statut de conservation

Least Concern

Brent Goose

Least Concern

Wandering 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.

Wandering Whistling-duck

Plumage

Rich chestnut-brown head and neck; dark brown back. Flanks rufous with pale buff streaks and dark spots. Belly blackish. Long, dark pinkish legs. Upright posture typical of whistling-ducks. Sexes similar.

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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.

Wandering Whistling-duck

A medium-sized whistling-duck with rufous-brown body, dark brown back, pale buff underparts, and a chestnut collar. Found in tropical wetlands from Indonesia to Australia and Pacific islands. Highly social and nomadic. Forages by dabbling and diving in shallow freshwater.

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