common brant goose
- noun
:
ganso brant común
- The common brant goose feeds mainly on eelgrass and sea lettuce in tidal flats.
Examples
-
During the spring migration, thousands of common brant geese can be seen along the coast.
-
The common brant goose is known for its distinctive black head.
-
Birdwatchers gathered at the estuary to spot the rare common brant goose among other waterfowl.
-
Many common brant geese migrate south for the winter.
-
During the spring migration, thousands of common brant geese can be seen along the coast.
-
Birdwatchers gathered at the estuary to spot the rare common brant goose among other waterfowl.
-
The common brant goose feeds mainly on eelgrass and sea lettuce in tidal flats.
Synonyms
3
9.3
A small dark goose that breeds in the far north and flies south for the winter
A small dark-bellied wild goose that lives on Arctic and temperate coasts
A small dark goose that breeds in the far north and flies south for winter
A small dark goose that breeds in the Arctic and flies south for the winter
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is a straightforward noun phrase composition: 'common' (widespread) modifies 'brant goose' (a specific kind of goose), so the meaning 'a widespread variety of brant goose' is directly derivable from the constituent words. This modifier + species pattern is regular and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows the parts will understand the MWE.
Etymology
Common brant goose is named for the word brant, an old word that meant 'burnt' or very dark because these geese have a dark neck and head, and common shows it is the widespread kind. So the name helps you picture 'a widespread dark-necked goose' often seen along the coast.