Brant: A Unique Goose

Joe Meche is a member of the board of directors of the North Cascades Audubon Society and is in his eighth year as editor of the chapter newsletter. Joe is also a member of the board of directors of the Washington Brant Foundation. He has been photographing birds and landscapes for over 30 years and has been watching birds for more than 50 years.

One of the primary functions of last year’s inaugural Washington Brant Festival was to increase the general public’s awareness of our wintering population of brant and the need to conserve the shoreline habitat that is essential to their survival. When it comes to the embodiment of unique and specialized, brant fit the bill as much as any other species. Brant tend to avoid anything that humans have to offer. While many bird species have adapted to the intrusive ways of humans and have even become used to taking handouts, brant still prefer the wild and mostly unspoiled habitats that are left in their natural states.

Brant are small, stocky sea geese that breed farther north than any other member of the goose family. Roughly the size of the common mallard, brant are about 25 inches long with a wingspan of 42 inches. The western subspecies, Branta bernicla nigricans (formerly known as the black brant), has a black head and neck with a dark belly. Adults have a white patch around the front of the neck that appears almost to form a necklace. In appearance, the Pacific form is darker than its Atlantic cousin.

Brant nest and breed on the wet coastal tundra of the high Arctic and lay from three to five eggs in a nest made of seaweed, grasses and down. The young hatch after an incubation period of 22 to 26 days and leave the nest after only one or two days to begin feeding in the long days of the Arctic summer. Because of the long days, the young are able to feed almost constantly and fledge after 40 or 50 days.

Brant flocks are quite gregarious and usually travel in long, ragged formations, as opposed to the usual “V” formation of other goose species. Brant also fly considerably lower than other geese. In the fall, brant migration is nothing short of spectacular since they have been known to leave their breeding grounds and fly nonstop for 50 hours to their wintering grounds in Baja California. In the spring, their northbound migration includes stopovers to feed on eelgrass and sea lettuce, their main dietary staples. These stopovers are primarily for resting and feeding to restore energy prior to moving northward.

Brant not only require eelgrass when feeding but also utilize accreted gravel beaches where they ingest small pieces of gravel and grit to aid in digestion. Brant are very sensitive to the loss of these feeding requirements.

Historically, brant utilized the gravel bar at the north end of the Semiahmoo Spit. This gravel bar was eventually dredged and replaced by a marina. The birds now tend to congregate southeast of the marina or on the outside of the spit between the county park and the Semiahmoo Resort. The largest concentrations of brant in this area occur between February and May, with peak numbers usually arriving in mid-April. The peak numbers are often coincidental to the annual herring spawn, which adds protein to their diet.

As with many birds, brant are an important indicator species and noticeably reflect changes that adversely affect their traditional habitats and way of life. The most obvious changes are those wrought by man. Flocks that once numbered about 30,000 in the 1970s have declined to less than 6,000 today. The loss of food and the destruction of critical habitat are the main factors in this decline. Last year, on March 7, I observed as many as 2,000 brant feeding actively and socializing on the outer shoreline of the Semiahmoo Spit. During this same period, thousands of sea ducks, gulls, cormorants and loons joined in a literal feeding frenzy as schools of herring moved in and out of Drayton Harbor. In almost 30 years of birding in the area, the total number of birds that day eclipsed anything I had seen before.

Make plans to spend some time this spring getting to know one of our most distinctive maritime birds. With their numbers in decline, it’s essential that we spread the word about brant and increase awareness of the need to conserve the critical habitat that they need for the survival of their species.

The Washington Brant Foundation, in partnership with the communities of Blaine and Birch Bay, will host the 2nd Annual Washington Brant Festival on April 17–18. Last year’s inaugural celebration of this unique bird was as successful as we hoped it would be and provided sufficient impetus to continue. Numerous activities and events are planned for the two-day festival.

Volunteers from the North Cascades Audubon Society will staff viewing stations at five strategic locations ranging from Marine Park in Blaine to the south end of Birch Bay State Park. Each station will have brochures, maps, a mounted scope, and an experienced birder on hand to assist visitors. Several environmental organizations will have tables set up in the lobby of the Semiahmoo Resort to promote their respective agendas.

Other activities planned include: a display of all the entries in this year’s North Cascades Audubon Society Children’s Environmental Poster Contest; wildlife exhibits by local bird rehabilitators; a silent auction with waterfowl carvings and art; and all-day Saturday programs and presentations in the Discovery Room Theater at the resort. The Saturday activities will culminate in a live auction and banquet at the resort.

Most activities and events are free and open to the public. To attend the Saturday evening banquet, however, you must register and purchase tickets in advance. For more information, visit the Web site of the Washington Brant Foundation at http://www.washingtonbrant.org or telephone Joe Meche at 738-0641. The Washington Brant Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose main purpose is to promote the conservation and management of the brant goose and other waterfowl of the Pacific Flyway. §