Brants

Brants, or brant geese, refer to the species Branta bernicla, a medium-sized goose in the family Anatidae. The species includes several subspecies that breed in Arctic and subarctic regions of Eurasia and North America and winter along coastlines.

Description: Brants are medium-sized geese with a compact body and a relatively short neck. Plumage is generally dark, with variation among subspecies; many populations show a lighter face or throat and a white rump in flight.

Range and habitat: Breeding on Arctic tundra, islands and coastal zones in Greenland, Canada, Alaska, and northern Eurasia. In winter they gather in coastal lagoons, estuaries, and protected bays, often in large flocks.

Diet: Primarily herbivorous, feeding on eelgrass and other submerged vegetation, as well as grasses and agricultural crops during winter.

Behavior and migration: Brants are migratory and highly gregarious, forming large flocks outside the breeding season. They exhibit strong site fidelity to important breeding and wintering areas and travel long distances between them.

Reproduction: Nests are on the ground in tundra or coastal habitats. The female incubates the eggs, and broods hatchlings after about a month; clutches vary in size.

Conservation: Brants are listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, with population trends varying by region. Some subspecies have faced habitat loss, hunting pressure, and climate change effects; protections and management programs operate in several countries.

Taxonomy and names: The genus Branta includes brants; the common name brant or brant goose is used for Branta bernicla, and the plural form “brants” is common in American English when referring to multiple individuals.