Barnacle goose

Branta leucopsis

A small goose with a white face and black neck, breeding in the Arctic and wintering in large coastal grassland flocks.

Key facts

Barnacle goose (Branta leucopsis) is a herbivore animal classified as Bird · Anseriformes · Anatidae.
Primary habitats are coast · grassland · polar, with a range across Palearctic · Nearctic.
Activity is diurnal, sociality is herd, and conservation status is LC (Least Concern).
A small goose with a white face and black neck, breeding in the Arctic and wintering in large coastal grassland flocks.
Breeds on rocky Arctic islands and coasts, wintering on saltmarsh, reclaimed land, pasture, and estuaries.

Habitat range map

Native rangeOccasional / Transient

Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)

Breeds on rocky Arctic islands and coasts, wintering on saltmarsh, reclaimed land, pasture, and estuaries.

The face is white, while the crown, neck, and breast are black. Gray upperparts show neat black-and-white barring.

Dense flocks graze together and migrate in organized formations. Cliffs and islands reduce predation at nesting sites.

Grasses, sedges, coastal plants, pasture, and grain are eaten, with winter flocks cropping short turf.

Nests are placed on ledges or island ground. Goslings leave the nest and follow parents to water or grazing areas.

Some populations have increased and can conflict with farming, while protected migratory wetlands remain important.