Barnacle Goose

Über uns

A medium-sized cleanly patterned goose with a white face, black crown, neck, and breast, grey barred back, and white belly. Breeds in the high Arctic; winters in northwestern Europe. Famous in medieval times as the subject of the legend that it hatched from barnacles.

Physical Description

Measurement	Value	Imperial
Flügelspannweite	76,4 cm	30.1 in
Gewicht	1685,0 g	59.44 oz

Identifizierung

Gefieder

Striking black, white and gray pattern. White face and forehead; black crown, neck, and upper breast. Gray back with black and white barring. White underparts. Black tail. Sexes similar; elegant goose.

Habitat & Range

Breeds on inaccessible Arctic cliff ledges in Greenland, Svalbard, and Novaya Zemlya. Winters on coastal saltmarshes, pastures, and estuaries in northwestern Europe, particularly Scotland and Ireland.

🌿 Feuchtgebiet 🌾 Grasland 🏖️ Küste

Geografisches Verbreitungsgebiet

Breeds in Arctic tundra of Alaska and Canada; winters on the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of the United States and northern Mexico.

Diet & Feeding

Large white swan grazing aquatic plants and grasses; upends for submerged vegetation; supplements diet with invertebrates in breeding.

Erhaltungsstatus

Least Concern

IUCN Red List

Verhalten & Brutverhalten

Nistverhalten

Nest type: SC. Incubation: 24-25 days. Fledging: 40-45 days.

Gelegegröße

2-9

Lautgebung

Gesang

A rapid, high-pitched barking 'uk-uk-uk' given rapidly in flocks. Higher-pitched and more rapid than Canada Goose. Migrating flocks create a constant excited barking chorus.

Taxonomie

Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Aves
Ordnung	Anseriformes (Wasservögel)
Familie	Anatidae (Enten, Gänse und Schwäne)
Genus	Branta
Arten	Branta leucopsis

Distribution

Barnacle Goose has been recorded in 11 countries.

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Vorhanden Not recorded

countries highlighted

🇧🇪 Belgien 🇩🇰 Dänemark 🇩🇪 Deutschland 🇫🇮 Finnland 🇫🇷 Frankreich 🇳🇱 Niederlande 🇳🇴 Norwegen 🇦🇹 Österreich 🇸🇪 Schweden 🇬🇧 Vereinigtes Königreich 🇺🇸 Vereinigte Staaten

External Databases

Häufig gestellte Fragen

What does the Barnacle Goose eat?

Large white swan grazing aquatic plants and grasses; upends for submerged vegetation; supplements diet with invertebrates in breeding.

Where does the Barnacle Goose live?

Breeds on inaccessible Arctic cliff ledges in Greenland, Svalbard, and Novaya Zemlya. Winters on coastal saltmarshes, pastures, and estuaries in northwestern Europe, particularly Scotland and Ireland.

Is the Barnacle Goose endangered?

The Barnacle Goose has a conservation status of Least Concern.

How does the Barnacle Goose nest?

Nest type: SC. Incubation: 24-25 days. Fledging: 40-45 days.

What does the Barnacle Goose sound like?

A rapid, high-pitched barking 'uk-uk-uk' given rapidly in flocks. Higher-pitched and more rapid than Canada Goose. Migrating flocks create a constant excited barking chorus.

How big is the Barnacle Goose?

The Barnacle Goose has a wingspan of 76.4 cm, weight of 1685.0 g.

What order and family does the Barnacle Goose belong to?

The Barnacle Goose (Branta leucopsis) belongs to the order Anseriformes and the family Anatidae.