Barnacle Goose
Branta leucopsis
Handsome and distinctive. A rather compact and fairly small goose with big white face patch, silvery upperparts, and black neck and breast sharply demarcated from white belly. Breeds mainly in Greenland, Iceland, and Spitsbergen, and locally around the Baltic Sea. Winters in farmland and grassy wetlands mainly in coastal lowlands throughout northern Europe. Free flying feral birds resident locally at lakes and parks in the U.K. In main wintering areas, occurs in hundreds or even thousands; elsewhere, singles and family groups can be found among flocks of other geese. Rare but increasing visitor to northeastern North America, almost always with flocks of Canada Geese.
Identification
The barnacle goose is a medium-sized goose, 55–70 cm (22–28 in) long, with a wingspan of 130–145 cm (51–57 in) and a body mass of 1.21–2.23 kg (2.7–4.9 lb). It has a white face and black head, neck, and upper breast. Its belly is white. The wings and its back are silver-gray with black-and-white bars that look like they are shining when the light reflects on it. During flight, a V-shaped white rump patch and the silver-gray underwing linings are visible. They look similar to Canada Geese but are smaller, have white instead of brown bodies and have smaller beaks.
Taxonomy
The barnacle goose was first classified taxonomically by Johann Matthäus Bechstein in 1803. Branta is a Latinised form of Old Norse Brandgás, "burnt (black) goose" and the specific epithet is from the Ancient Greek leukos "white", and opsis "faced".<p>The barnacle goose and the similar brant goose were previously considered one species, and were formerly believed to spawn from the goose barnacle. This gave rise to the English name of the barnacle goose and the scientific name of the brant. It is sometimes claimed that the word comes from a Celtic word for "limpet", but the sense-history seems to go in the opposite direction. <p>The barnacle myth can be dated back to at least the 12th century. Gerald of Wales claimed to have seen these birds hanging down from pieces of timber, William Turner accepted the theory, and John Gerard claimed to have seen the birds emerging from their shells. The legend persisted until the end of the 18th century. In County Kerry, until relatively recently, Catholics abstaining from meat during Lent could still eat this bird because it was considered as fish.
- Scientific name
- Branta leucopsis
- Authority
- (Bechstein, 1803)
- Order
- Anseriformes
- Family
- Anatidae
- Genus
- Branta
Range and habitat
- Breeding range
- PAL : high Arctic e Greenland, Svalbard (n of Norway), Novaya Zemlya and nearby Kolguyev and Vaygach is. (nw Russia)
- Non-breeding range
- to coastal n British Is., s Scandinavia, and nw Europe
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Conservation
The barnacle goose is common and widespread, and its population and breeding range has increased in recent decades. The barnacle goose is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds applies.
- Population trend
- rising
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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