What is "brant goose"

n. small dark geese that breed in the north and migrate southward [syn: brant, brent, brent goose]

The brant or brent goose (Branta bernicla) is a species of goose of the genus Branta. The black brant is an American subspecies. Branta is a Latinised form of Old Norse brandgás, "burnt (black) goose) and bernicla is the medieval Latin name for the barnacle. The brent and the similar barnacle goose were previously considered one species, formerly believed to be the same creature as the crustacean. That myth can 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 could eat this bird on a Friday because it counted as fish.

The Brent System, a major oilfield, was named after the species.