Migration: Brants are long distance migrators. 1982) and Singer et al. Hundreds of black brant geese stretched along the shoreline looking very dapper in their tuxedo-like plumage. Taking one of the world's most dangerous migration routes this compact goose travels from its breeding grounds in the Canadian Arctic to Northern Ireland via the 2700 metre high Greenland ice cap Hundreds, sometimes thousands, of brant geese leave the bay and head up high in the sky to continue the trip north to their annual nesting area. No other geese nest as far north as the Brant, and few migrate as far. First, we have the question of whether direct long-distance migration or short detour migration/wintering in Izembek is optimal if migration is under strategic control of the geese. Close Derksen et al. Black and white was the uniform of the day at Fort Flagler State Park. While we were distracted by the extreme heat and typhoons, the season has come when winter birds fly over to Japan. Migration Status. Traveling between their summer and winter outposts, they may fly at altitudes of several thousand feet as they cross great expanses of land or open ocean. The fall migration of Pacific Flyway Brant Branta bernicla in relation to climatic conditions. M is for May Migration Through Massachusetts Medium-distance migrant. In places where the grazing is good they may linger for a week at a time. Some birds fly 3,000 miles from their nesting grounds on the coast of Arctic Ocean to the warm coast of Baja, Mexico. Black Brant, the Little Sea Goose. The West Coast population breeds primarily on Melville Island and Prince Patrick Island in the western high Arctic. Wildfowl 33:39-57. They have a black head, a short black neck, and stubby bill. No other goose nests as far north as the Brant, and few migrate as far as this long-distance traveler. Hundreds, sometimes thousands, of brant geese leave the bay and head up high in the sky to continue the trip north to their annual nesting area. All populations migrate, making long flights broken up by long stopovers in staging areas. (1982). Above all, the migration of geese is so impressive that it is often covered by televisions and newspapers as one of the most typical seasonal sights of Japan. (2012), on migration and wintering by Dau (Dau, C. P. (1992). Migration. Brants don't migrate in V's like Canada geese or straight lines like snow geese. They fly quickly and at high altitudes in narrow flight lanes, heading more or less due south from the breeding grounds to a wintering site at roughly the same longitude. These small geese are characteristic of coastal areas in summer and winter; most birdwatchers know them from seeing their wintering flocks along both of our coasts. Other groups migrate from the Arctic down the Hudson Bay to the Atlantic Coast. The name is magical, and it carries with it a suggestion of distant places and amazing journeys. These groups stay together from one breeding season to the next. During this trek, Brant fly at altitudes of several thousand feet. This entry was posted in Birds, Cape Ann Wildlife, Gloucester, Life at the Edge of the Sea, Rockport and tagged American Brant, Atlantic Brant, Beautiful Birds of Cape Ann, Brant Geese, Branta bernicla, Brent Goose on March 28, 2018 by Kim Smith. I have often wondered how the geese decide that it is time to continue the migration north, but however they communicate this major decision, it is an amazing sight to see. About Brent Geese (Thanks to the Irish Brent Goose Research Group for much of this information) Brent geese are a small (<2kg) long-distance migratory goose with a circumpolar breeding distribution and temperate wintering distribution. They seldom fly in V-formation. Wildfowl 43 (1992):80-95. Each day, they search for marshland, coastal grassland or farmland to rest and feed on, before pushing on at dusk. I have often wondered how the geese decide that it is time to continue the migration north, but however they communicate this major decision, it is an amazing sight to see. Spring distributions of black brant (Branta bernicla nigricans) are closely related to that of their primary food plant, eelgrass (Zostera marina).Using historical (1931–2001) brant data from Humboldt Bay, California, we show that proportional use of two main feeding areas in … Brant Goose (Branta bernicla)also known as the Brent Goose in Great Britain Species Code: BRBE Description: The Brant is a relatively small goose, with dark brown upperparts and brown-barred, pale gray underparts. And so it is with this diminutive little goose, which pays an annual visit to British Columbia. In our model we have analysed migration in the black brant on two levels. Habitat ecology of Pacific Black Brant and other geese moulting near Teshekpuk Lake, Alaska. Brant Geese Migration Donald Lovegrove 2019-01-14T23:42:11-08:00. The Black Brant is the western North American subspecies of the Brant, (Branta bernicla).