Black brant | |
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In Iceland | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Anseriformes |
Family: | Anatidae |
Subfamily: | Anserinae |
Tribe: | Anserini |
Genus: | Branta |
Species: | B. bernicla |
Subspecies: | B. b. nigricans |
Trinomial name | |
Branta bernicla nigricans (Lawrence, 1846) |
The black brant or Pacific brent goose (Branta bernicla nigricans) is a subspecies of the brant goose that breeds in Alaska and winters in Baja California. There are an estimated 115,000 black brant in the world and about 14,000 are taken each year by hunters. Fox predation of eggs is thought to be significant and, in 2006, the U.S. began a 5-year fox removal program. The population has been as high as 200,000 in 1981, and as low as 100,000 in 1987.