birds of dawlish warren

International
Putatively split into three species†, but not widely adopted. Brent Goose usually recognised as three, sometimes four subspecies.  Black Brant is also referred to as the ‘North American and East Siberian’ race.

Most nest in Alaska and west Canadian Islands, also expanding its breeding range west in Siberian tundra to Lena Delta.  It winters along the Pacific coasts S to Baja California.  Formerly in large numbers, it is now rare wintering in N China, Korean Peninsula and Japan†.

Europe
Annual vagrant to northern Europe since 1974 with most records, including returning birds to GB (see below) and Netherlands, where 95 birds accepted to 1998, but no longer considered by CDNA from 1999. Also recorded in Iceland, France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Finland††.

Great Britain and Ireland
The first record was in Feb 1957 (Essex).  Records were less than annual until the mid-1970s, but from 1978 it was increasingly found in Irish flocks of Canadian-bred hrota and from the early 1980s, increasingly found in Siberian-bred bernicula flocks in Lincs, East Anglia and SE coasts.  Up to 18 accepted per annum; many presumably involving returning birds and have included mixed hybrid family groups with hrota and bernicula†.   There were 178 accepted records of nigricans up to the end of 2005, when it ceased to be assessed by the BBRC†.