#0563 · 🐦 birds
Barnacle Goose
🇳🇱 Brandgans ·Branta leucopsis
10 photos from iNaturalist (Creative Commons) · credits & licences
- 1. © Paul Cools · CC BY-NC 4.0
- 2. © Christoph Moning · CC BY 4.0
- 3. © Karen (with occasional help from Mike) · CC BY 4.0
- 4. © Christoph Moning · CC BY 4.0
- 5. © Karen (with occasional help from Mike) · CC BY 4.0
- 6. © acanthis · CC BY-NC 4.0
- 7. © Volker Heinrich · CC BY-NC 4.0
- 8. © Анна Голубева · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
- 9. © egorbirder · CC BY 4.0
- 10. © Antti Henttonen · CC BY-NC 4.0
what is it?
The barnacle goose ( Branta leucopsis ) belongs to the genus Branta of black geese, which contains species with largely black plumage, distinguishing them from the grey Anser species. Despite its superficial similarity to the brant goose, genetic analysis has shown it is an eastern derivative of the cackling goose lineage.
base stats
Bars compare against all animals on log scales: up to 300,000 Dutch and 600,000 worldwide sightings (the most-seen species), 150 t (blue whale), 30 m and 400 years (Greenland shark).
fun facts
- Spotted 2,204 times in the Netherlands on iNaturalist: the #32 most seen of the birds in NL.
- 21,101 observations worldwide on iNaturalist.
- Weighs up to about 1.8 kg.
- Scientifically named by Johann Matthäus Bechstein in 1803 (223 years ago).
fact sheet
- English
- Barnacle Goose
- Nederlands
- Brandgans
- scientific name
- Branta leucopsis
- class
- Aves
- order
- Anseriformes
- family
- Anatidae
- IUCN Red List
- LC · least concern
- sightings in NL
- 2,204
- sightings in Europe
- 18,073
- sightings worldwide
- 21,101
- GBIF records in NL
- 381,163
- weight
- 1.8 kg
- length
- —
- lifespan
- —
- named
- 1803 by Johann Matthäus Bechstein
IUCN in Dutch: niet bedreigd. Blank means the sources don't say.
relatives· Anatidae
#0532 📷 9Mallard
🇳🇱 Wilde Eend
Anas platyrhynchos
LC 👀 9k in NL
#0535 📷 9Greylag Goose
🇳🇱 Grauwe Gans
Anser anser
LC 👀 6.1k in NL
#0537 📷 10Egyptian Goose
🇳🇱 Nijlgans
Alopochen aegyptiaca
LC 👀 5.2k in NL
#0544 📷 9Mute Swan
🇳🇱 Knobbelzwaan
Cygnus olor
LC 👀 3.9k in NL
#0545 📷 8Tufted Duck
🇳🇱 Kuifeend
Aythya fuligula
LC 👀 3.6k in NL
#0555 📷 10Gadwall
🇳🇱 Krakeend
Mareca strepera
LC 👀 2.5k in NL
#0558 📷 10Canada Goose
🇳🇱 Grote Canadese gans
Branta canadensis
LC 👀 2.3k in NL
#0560 📷 10Common Shelduck
🇳🇱 Bergeend
Tadorna tadorna
LC 👀 2.2k in NL
Sources: iNaturalist taxon 7101, Wikidata Q26680, GBIF 5232464, Wikipedia (EN), Wikipedia (NL). Intro text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-24.