Brent Geese variables (1 Viewer)

Reader · Feb 4, 2004

I was in Norfolk for just over a day this week and managed to photograph some Brent Geese. Thankfully I managed to capture some Pale bellied Brents (the first I have ever seen) as well as some dark bellied Brents. Now I am no expert on Brent identification but whilst I found it relatively easy to pick out thePale bellied I found that within the Dark bellied there seemed to be variable plumages. I have attached a Pale bellied plus a couple of dark bellied Brents. can someone tell me why in one of the Dark bellied Geese it has visible wing markings whilst the other has none.

Forgive the fuzziness of the pictures but I was battling against gale force winds and these were the best out of over a hundred photos taken.

Michael Frankis · Feb 4, 2004

Hi Reader,

The ones with white fringes are first-winter birds (also with next to no white on the side of the neck), without fringes are adults

Michael

HH75 · Feb 4, 2004

Hi Reader,
The variation in wing markings is age-related,with adults of all Brent Goose taxa having unmarked wings and juveniles/1st-winters having pale 'bars'.
Harry H
P.S. See I was beaten to it....

guffers · Feb 4, 2004

Hi Reader,
The white wing markings are indicative of juvenile and first winter birds whereas adults do not show these wing markings. The same is true of the pale bellied race. So the middle bird is a first winter dark bellied Brent Goose whereas the end bird is an adult as is your pale bellied individual. The Collins Bird Guide shows excellent and very clear examples of this in the drawings. I found this out after consulting the book when I noticed juvenile Brent Geese with wing markings on Mull at the beginning of October. However Reader, juv birds show NO white streak on the neck. This explains why your first winter bird has a less developed neck stripe when compared to your adult birds.

Reader · Feb 4, 2004

Thanks for your quick, and informative, replies folks.

gomergl · Dec 1, 2020

I'm pretty sure I saw a number of Brents today at an estuarine location at Cwm Ivy, North Gower in South Wales. I cant be sure but they were very dark all over with just a small amount of white on the underside, more towards the tail. I'm an occasional bird watcher and this was my first visit here. The amount of waders, ducks and other species was incredible being the time of year for all those visitors. I wasnt aware that Brents are found this far west in the UK, so maybe they were another breed?

Thanks for anyone's help!

Nutcracker · Dec 1, 2020

gomergl said:
I'm pretty sure I saw a number of Brents today at an estuarine location at Cwm Ivy, North Gower in South Wales. I cant be sure but they were very dark all over with just a small amount of white on the underside, more towards the tail. I'm an occasional bird watcher and this was my first visit here. The amount of waders, ducks and other species was incredible being the time of year for all those visitors. I wasnt aware that Brents are found this far west in the UK, so maybe they were another breed?

Thanks for anyone's help!

Yes, they winter on the Gower in small numbers

PS welcome to Birdforum!

gomergl · Dec 1, 2020

that's brilliant Nutcracker, thanks very much! I'll be going back there, some great hides I could see and Marsh Harriers I believe! I dont know if you know the area, but an ancient sea defence has subsided allowing the tides to once more encroach into pasture. Already the diversity of wildlife is springing back to where it was many hundreds of years ago, not just birds.

ClarkWGriswold · Dec 1, 2020

gomergl said:
I'm pretty sure I saw a number of Brents today at an estuarine location at Cwm Ivy, North Gower in South Wales. I cant be sure but they were very dark all over with just a small amount of white on the underside, more towards the tail. I'm an occasional bird watcher and this was my first visit here. The amount of waders, ducks and other species was incredible being the time of year for all those visitors. I wasnt aware that Brents are found this far west in the UK, so maybe they were another breed?

Thanks for anyone's help!

Hi gomergl and welcome to BirdForum. I was down there Sunday. Superb place. Teeming with birds though the tide was way out when we were there. Good numbers of Pintails as well.

The week before I was at Crofty marsh. Had distant views of a Hen Harrier there and a much closer Merlin.

Rich

gomergl · Dec 2, 2020

we didnt venture on the marsh paths or to the hides but walked to the old lighthouse, but further inland I could see huge numbers through the binoculars. One flock had a large amount of white on their backs; Shelducks presumably? I've never seen a pintail, but from pictures they look beautiful!

ClarkWGriswold · Dec 2, 2020

gomergl said:
we didnt venture on the marsh paths or to the hides but walked to the old lighthouse, but further inland I could see huge numbers through the binoculars. One flock had a large amount of white on their backs; Shelducks presumably? I've never seen a pintail, but from pictures they look beautiful!

Definitely plenty of Shelduck down there. I must admit that given the tide was so far out on Sunday the scope came in very handy. We were able to pick out a couple of Slavonian Grebes with it and some Common Scoters near the Eider flock. Brent Geese numbers were very high.

Rich

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