Species authority page

Brant

Branta bernicla · Geese · Waterfowl · Migratory game birds

Brant (Branta bernicla): Small goose with a black head and neck, a small white neck mark and a dark back. Eastern birds have a white belly contrasting with the black chest; western 'Black Brant' have darker bellies. This profile does not establish whether taking it is legal anywhere.

Certified rules currently represented in Hunt: coverage in development. This is coverage, not a legal answer.

Brant — verified North Ground species photograph
North Ground · All rights reserved
Scientific name
Branta bernicla
Family
Anatidae
Range
Nests on Arctic tundra, including the Canadian Arctic; winters along both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of North America.
Biology

How to identify it

Small goose with a black head and neck, a small white neck mark and a dark back. [1]

Eastern birds have a white belly contrasting with the black chest; western 'Black Brant' have darker bellies. [1]

First-winter juveniles show pale bands across the back. [1]

Sexes look alike. [1]

Field knowledge

Where it lives

Wet coastal tundra in summer; salt bays and estuaries in winter. [1]

Field knowledge

How it behaves

Call is a low, guttural ruk-ruk. [1]

Feeds in flocks year-round, wading, tipping up or walking tidal flats. [1]

Winter diet is dominated by eelgrass where available, plus wigeon grass, rockweed and green algae. [1]

Long-distance migrant flying in flocks, sometimes several thousand feet up. [1]

Regulatory handoff

Where it is listed for legal take

These authorities list this species for legal take in their own regulations.

Where legal take is listed

Being listed is not an open season. Seasons, zones, licences, methods and limits decide whether this animal may be taken on a given day and place — check Hunt or the authority before you go. Listings read 2026-09-30.

Geospatial intelligence

Where it is found

Nests on Arctic tundra, including the Canadian Arctic; winters along both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of North America.

Biology

Sources

Every claim above is attributed to one of these published sources.

  1. National Audubon Society · reviewed 2026-09-30

    National Audubon Society