Wildlife
Brent geese were once only to be found on or very near the coast in winter. In fact, the UK population almost died out in the 1930s when its main food source, eelgrass, was devastated by disease. Nowadays, brent geese have moved a bit inland to find their food, looking to agricultural land for grass and winter cereals. There are three forms, or subspecies, of brent goose: dark-bellied, pale-bellied and black. During the winter the United Kingdom is home to globally important numbers of brent geese, that have spent the breeding season in the Arctic. Brent geese fly in long low wavering lines.
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Seal watching
British heavyweights are spotted off the Norfolk coast.
British heavyweights are spotted off the Norfolk coast.
Gobbling geese
Strangford Lough's eelgrass beds prove an irresistible draw for migrating brent geese.
Strangford Lough's eelgrass beds prove an irresistible draw for migrating brent geese.
Chilled out birds
The development of an arctic climate changed the breeding behaviour of Brent geese.
The development of an arctic climate changed the breeding behaviour of Brent geese.
The Brent goose can be found in a number of locations including: Arctic, Asia, China, Europe, North America, Russia, United Kingdom, Wales. Find out more about these places and what else lives there.
The following habitats are found across the Brent goose distribution range. Find out more about these environments, what it takes to live there and what else inhabits them.
Discover what these behaviours are and how different plants and animals use them.
Additional data source: Animal Diversity Web
Least Concern
Year assessed: 2009
Classified by: IUCN 3.1
The Brant or Brent Goose, Branta bernicla, is a species of goose of the genus Branta. The Black Brant is an American subspecies. The specific descriptor bernicla is from the same source as "barnacle" in Barnacle Goose, which looks similar but is not a close relation.
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Helpless young
Migration
Colonial
Adapted to flying
Acoustic communication
Herbivorous
Monogamous
Moulting
Egg layer