Brent Goose vs Ruddy-headed Goose

Branta bernicla comparé à Chloephaga rubidiceps

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribut Brent Goose Ruddy-headed Goose
Nom scientifique Branta bernicla Chloephaga rubidiceps
Ordre Anseriformes Anseriformes
Famille Anatidae Anatidae
Statut de conservation Least Concern Least Concern
Longueur
Envergure 63,9 cm (25.2 in) 65,1 cm (25.6 in)
Poids 1335,0 g (47.09 oz) 1756,8333333333333 g (61.97 oz)
Régime alimentaire Primarily herbivorous; grazes aquatic plants, grasses, and sedges; swans upend in shallow water for submerged … --
Taille de la couvée 1-10 3-8
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

Habitats partagés

Brent Goose only

Ruddy-headed Goose 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.

Ruddy-headed Goose

Breeds on open tussock grasslands and moorland in Tierra del Fuego and the Falkland Islands. Mainland wintering population on Patagonian grasslands now critically small. Falkland Islands population relatively stable.

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.

Ruddy-headed Goose

Chant

A high, whistled 'whee' from males and a cackling rattle from females. Calls similar to Ashy-headed Goose. Falkland Islands population; calls in open coastal grassland.

Geographic Range & Migration

Brent Goose

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

Ruddy-headed Goose

Statut de conservation

Least Concern

Brent Goose

Least Concern

Ruddy-headed Goose

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.

Ruddy-headed Goose

Plumage

Distinctive rufous-brown head and neck; body barred rufous and black above; underparts buff-white finely barred. Orange-yellow legs. White wing patches in flight. Compact; sexes similar. Falklands and Patagonia.

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.

Ruddy-headed Goose

A small sheldgoose with a rich rufous-brown head and neck, buff-white belly, and barred back. One of the world's rarest geese; mainland population now nearly extinct. Breeds in Tierra del Fuego; main stronghold remains the Falkland Islands. Winters on the Argentine pampas.

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