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Glite Dictionary
Branta bernicla

Branta bernicla

9.9
A small dark-bellied wild goose that lives on Arctic and temperate coasts
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Branta bernicla
  • The Branta bernicla migrates vast distances between its arctic breeding grounds and temperate coastlines.

Examples

  • Due to habitat loss, conservationists are monitoring the population of Branta bernicla closely.

  • Birdwatchers were thrilled to spot a rare juvenile Branta bernicla among the flock.

  • The Branta bernicla is a small, dark-bellied wild goose.

  • Look at that beautiful Branta bernicla flying overhead!

  • Birdwatchers were thrilled to spot a rare juvenile Branta bernicla among the flock.

  • Due to habitat loss, conservationists are monitoring the population of Branta bernicla closely.

  • The Branta bernicla migrates vast distances between its arctic breeding grounds and temperate coastlines.

Synonyms

brant
vsBranta bernicla
  • US
3 9.3

A small dark goose that breeds in the far north and flies south for the winter

is the formal species name used in scientific description
brant goose
vsBranta bernicla
  • US
9.3

A small dark goose that breeds in the far north and flies south for winter

is the scientific species name referring to that same bird
brent goose
vsBranta bernicla
  • UK
8.8

A small dark goose that breeds in the Arctic and flies south for the winter

is the species' scientific name rather than this traditional name
brent
vsBranta bernicla
  • UK
9.9

A small dark goose that breeds in the Arctic and flies south in winter

is the formal species name rather than the alternative short name
common brant goose
vsBranta bernicla
5.8

A small dark bird that lives on northern coasts and eats sea plants

is the species name covering all varieties, not only the common one

Surface Forms

Branta bernicla singular
Branta berniclae plural

Morphology

Branta + bernicla

This is a Latin binomial (genus + species) rather than a compositional English phrase: knowing 'Branta' as a genus of geese lets a learner infer the term names a kind of goose, but 'bernicla' is not a recognizable English word and the detailed description ('small dark-bellied wild goose') requires domain knowledge. The meaning is therefore partially predictable from the parts but not fully derivable by a B1 learner, so it is only partially transparent.

Etymology

Branta bernicla may come from old names sailors used for coastal geese: Branta linked to a word meaning 'burnt' because of their dark bellies, and bernicla linked to 'barnacle' because people saw these geese near shells. So the name points to a small, dark-bellied goose that lives by the sea.