BRANTA.
In closed bill no "teeth" visible on cutting edge of upper mandible.
Branta bernicla bernicla (L.). BRENT GOOSE. Fr. Cravant ; Ger. Ringelgans ; Pal. Oca colombaccio ; Swed. Prutgas.
d Q Above brown ; crown, neck (with a white patch on either side) and chest black ; beneath whitish grey or smoky brown, flanks barred pale brown and white. Bill, legs and feet black. Iris dark brown. Wing 300-352. Tarsus 54-63. Bill 32.37 (9 smaller than ).
Breeds.—Arctic regions ; in Greenland from 70° to N., Kolguev, Nova Zembla, Spitzbergen, Franz Joseph Land and in Siberia east to Taimyr Peninsula. Migrates ; occurs on passage Jan Mayen, Iceland, Lapland and Fames ; in winter British Isles, Continental Europe, chiefly North Sea Coasts, rarer in Baltic ; occasionally to Portugal, Morocco and Egypt.
Branta leucopsis (Bechstein). BARNACLE GOOSE. Fr. Barnache nonnette ; Ger. Weisswangengans ; Ihrl. Oca faccia bianca ; Swed. Hoitkindad Gas.
8 Q Crown, neck, chest, back and rump black ; face, throat and underparts white ; wing coverts and scapulars grey with crescentic. bars of dark brown and white tips, flanks barred light
brown and white. Bill, legs and feet black. Wing 390-425. Tarsus 62-75. Bill 28-33.
Breeds.—Spitzbergen, E. Greenland, on ledges of cliffs. Migrates ; occurs on passage Iceland, Scandinavia, Finland, N. Russia, Baltic Provinces and Germany. Winters British Isles, Holland, Belgium, France ; rarely to Hungary, Egypt, Spain and Morocco.
Branta ruficollis (Pallas). RED-BREASTED GOOSE. Ger. Rothalsgans ; Ital. Oca collo rosso.
? Upper parts and breast, throat and vertical band on face black ; a patch on cheeks (encircled by white) and chest chestnut ; fore face, a pectoral band, tips of wing coverts and abdomen white. Bill, legs and feet black. Wing 345-365. Tarsus 52-56. Bill 23-26 (H.).
Breeds.—W. Siberia. Winters abundantly Caspian Basin ; occurs on passage Volga Delta and S. Russia, casual in W. Europe. Very rare Britain.