With four wing-beats each second pushing them to 62 miles per hour, brant are the fastest and strongest geese in flight and among the swiftest of all large birds.

Black brant comprise the vast majority of brant occurring in Oregon. These small geese have smoky black backs and bellies, and dissected white collars and white around the tails provide striking contrast. The black brant can live up to 20 years and are resilient enough to ride out storms on the open ocean.

In Oregon, wintering numbers along the coast have seen a 50 percent reduction from previous years due to the degradation of their habitat. Flocks of as many as 2,100 occur along the Coos County coast during northward migration in March and April. Black brants are rare inland, usually occurring as individuals among flocks of cackling Canada geese.

The black brant is an Oregon Conservation Strategy Species in the Coast Range and Nearshore ecoregions.

Hear the call of the black brant 

Photo by Dave Budeau, ODFW