Brant – State Wildlife Action Plan

Photo Credit: Don Lambert, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Most Brant (Branta bernicla) occurring in Oregon are Black Brant (B. b. nigricans). They area small dark goose that has a black head, neck, and breast, a charcoal colored belly and back, and have a white striated collar (necklace) on the middle of the neck. Males weigh 1-1.8kg and are typically 10% heavier than females. Plumage is identical between the sexes. Brant can be found in Oregon during migration and overwinter here, and a few nonbreeding birds may occasionally summer in Oregon. They are typically restricted to estuaries along the coast or adjacent open ocean habitats.

Overview

Species Common Name Brant
Species Scientific Name Branta bernicla
State Listing Status Sensitive

Ecoregions

Coast Range

Oregon's Coast Range, known for its dramatic scenery, is extremely diverse, with habitats ranging from open sandy dunes to lush forests and from tidepools to headwater streams. It follows the coastline and extends east through coastal forest to the border of the Willamette Valley and Klamath Mountains ecoregions

Nearshore

The Nearshore ecoregion includes a variety of habitats ranging from submerged high-relief rocky reefs to broad expanses of intertidal mudflats in estuaries and hosts a vast array of fish, invertebrates, marine mammals, birds, plants, and micro-organisms. This ecoregion encompasses the area from the outer boundary of Oregon's Territorial Sea to the supra-tidal zone, and up into the estuaries.

Special needs

Wintering Brant need eelgrass, Zostera spp., and sea lettuce, Ulva spp., beds for foraging. Estuaries with abundant eelgrass and little human disturbance are the primary habitat for Brant in Oregon.

Limiting factors

Wintering Brant are declining in Oregon. Loss and degradation of eelgrass beds have been linked to population reductions throughout the species range. Black Brant are also highly vulnerable to human disturbance and to oil spills, given their dependence on nearshore habitat. Disease is a threat, and they are susceptible to impacts from highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).

Data gaps

• Assess the impacts of human disturbance on foraging behavior.
• Improve understanding of wintering ecology.
• Evaluate the effects of habitat quality at spring staging sites on reproductive success and fitness.
• Determine changes (historical versus current) in abundance and distribution of submerged aquatic vegetation in Oregon’s primary estuaries.

Conservation actions

• Maintain existing eelgrass beds by reducing human-caused degradation.

• Restore eelgrass beds to enhance habitat quality and quantity.

Key reference or plan

Pacific Flyway Management Plan for Pacific Brant. Read here