Photo: MPF / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Waterbirds

Brant Goose

Branta bernicla

Brant Goose (Branta bernicla) — Ducks, Geese & Swans of North America.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 20 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

Regional checklists

Birds of Alberta Birds of British Columbia Birds of Manitoba Birds of New Brunswick Birds of Newfoundland and Labrador Birds of Nova Scotia Birds of Northwest Territories Birds of Nunavut Birds of Ontario Birds of Prince Edward Island

By family

Ducks, Geese & Swans of Alberta Ducks, Geese & Swans of British Columbia Ducks, Geese & Swans of Manitoba Ducks, Geese & Swans of New Brunswick Ducks, Geese & Swans of Newfoundland and Labrador Ducks, Geese & Swans of Nova Scotia Ducks, Geese & Swans of Northwest Territories Ducks, Geese & Swans of Nunavut Ducks, Geese & Swans of Ontario Ducks, Geese & Swans of Prince Edward Island

See what's near you right now

The Brant Goose (Branta bernicla) is a member of the Anatidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia and North America. Adults weigh 1.3 kg. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

Conservation status

IUCN Red List

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

Class Aves
Order Anseriformes
Family Anatidae Ducks, Geese, Swans
Genus Branta
Species bernicla

Where it lives

Widespread

Quick facts

Weight: 1.3 kg
Diet: Plant-eaters
Family: Anatidae
Order: Anseriformes
Habitat: Grassland & open country

How to identify

Similar birds

Least Concern

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Brant Goose feeds mainly on plant material such as leaves, buds and shoots.

Behaviour

A bird of open grassland, it forages mainly on the ground.

Migration

The Brant Goose is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.

The Brant Goose (Branta bernicla) is a member of the Anatidae family, within the order Anseriformes. It is found across Europe & Northern Asia and North America. Its distribution covers NA, PAL widespread.

It is a very large bird. Adults weighs around 1.3 kg, with a wing length of about 32 cm and a tail of around 9.4 cm.

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

The species has a mapped global range of roughly 3.1 million km².

Songs & calls

Brant Goose — Nocturnal flight call

Recorded by Simon Gillings Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Brant Goose — Call

Recorded by David Darrell-Lambert Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Brant Goose — Flight call

Recorded by David Darrell-Lambert Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Brant Goose — Call, flight call

Recorded by David Bissett Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

All Brant Goose sounds, grouped by type →

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Brant Goose?

The Brant Goose is a very large bird that weighs around 1.3 kg.

Where does the Brant Goose live?

The Brant Goose is found across Europe & Northern Asia and North America with a range covering NA, PAL widespread, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.

What family does the Brant Goose belong to?

The Brant Goose (Branta bernicla) belongs to the Anatidae family, in the order Anseriformes.

What does the Brant Goose eat?

The Brant Goose feeds mainly on plant material such as leaves, buds and shoots.

Does the Brant Goose migrate?

The Brant Goose is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.

Is the Brant Goose endangered?

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

What sound does the Brant Goose make?

4 real field recordings of the Brant Goose — including its call and flight call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, each credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Brant Goose's range?

The Brant Goose has a mapped global range of about 3.1 million km².