Barnacle goose
The barnacle goose is a distinctive black-and-white waterfowl known for its striking appearance, featuring a white face, black cap, and glossy black feathers on its neck and upper body. Originating from medieval beliefs, its name comes from the misconception that it hatched from a barnacle, specifically the goose barnacle. This species primarily inhabits northern regions, with significant breeding colonies found in Arctic areas such as Greenland and Russia. Barnacle geese migrate in large flocks and spend most of the year in the British Isles and northwestern Europe, where they prefer coastal habitats like salt marshes and grasslands. During the breeding season in May and June, they form monogamous pairs that construct nests in protected areas, often near birds of prey for added security. Their diet mainly consists of grass and coastal plants, although they also consume seaweed and small marine creatures when necessary. The goslings are capable of flight by seven weeks and typically leave their parents by the following spring. Barnacle geese can live up to 25 years in the wild, showcasing their resilience and adaptability in various environments.
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Barnacle goose
The name barnacle goose comes from medieval times, when Britons thought the goose hatched from a barnacle they called the goose barnacle. This black-and-white goose lives and migrates in huge flocks in northern regions of the world.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Genus: Branta
Species: Leucopsis
The barnacle goose has a white face and black eyes and a black cap on top of its head which helps distinguish it from the other geese. Glossy black feathers on its neck, upper breast, back, wings, and tail contrast with the white plumage on the bird's belly and lower breast. The wings and back also have some gray striping in them. Its body is 2 to 2 1/2 feet (60 to 75 centimeters) long and weighs three to four pounds (one to two kilograms).
In medieval times, the Britons named this goose after a barnacle they called the goose barnacle, a crustacean that lives attached to hard surfaces like rocks along coastlines. They never saw the goose nest on their shores and believed it hatched from the barnacle rather than an egg. The reason they never saw the goose nest in Britain is that this goose breeds and nests much farther north in the Arctic.
There are four main migrant colonies of this species, and they are based in the eastern coast of Greenland, Spitsbergen, Novaya Zemlya, and other areas of Russia. Family groups of these geese form large flocks which make their homes along coastlines in salt marshes, tidal mud flats, and grasslands near river estuaries. During most of the year they live in the British Isles and northwestern Europe. The geese breed during May and June in the Arctic.
A male and female mate only with each other for the breeding season and may remain together for as long as they both live, which may be several years. The pair builds a nest on the ground which is shallow hollow that is lined with lichens and downy feathers. Common nest sites are cliff ledges, river gorges, rocky hillsides, or in tundra. Nests are sometimes near those of birds of prey, and this provides some protection from foxes which the birds of prey frighten away. Three to five eggs incubate underneath the female for three to four weeks before they hatch. The goslings, or young, are able to fly at seven weeks of age, and the family soon joins the flock to migrate. The young geese leave their parents by the following spring and then wait until they are three years old to mate.
Grass is the most common food of the geese, whether they are inland in a pasture or on the coast. They also eat the shoots of coastal plants. When grass is not available, the geese eat seaweed, mollusks, aquatic insects, and crustaceans.
The sounds of barnacle geese have been described as short, sharp barks.
The lifespan of barnacle geese ranges from 18 to 25 years in the wild and 24 to 30 years in captivity.
Bibliography
“Barnacle Goose.” Audubon, 27 Feb. 2024, www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/barnacle-goose. Accessed 30 Mar. 2024.
Ekin, Utku. “Branta Leucopsis (Barnacle Goose).” Animal Diversity Web, animaldiversity.org/accounts/Branta‗leucopsis/. Accessed 30 Mar. 2024.