--- a/mercurial/commands.py
+++ b/mercurial/commands.py
@@ -1447,7 +1447,7 @@ def identify(ui, repo):
if not ui.quiet:
branch = util.tolocal(repo.workingctx().branch())
- if branch:
+ if branch != 'default':
output.append("(%s)" % branch)
# multiple tags for a single parent separated by '/'