Brent Goose is a goose of the genus Branta and is
known in North America as Brant. The spelling 'Brant' is the original one with
'Brent' being a later folk-etymological idea that it was derived from a
classical Greek water bird name 'brenthos'. It is in fact onomatopoeic, derived
from the guttural call note of the species. For the origin of the scientific
name 'bernicla', see Barnacle Goose. The scientific name 'hrota' comes from the
Old Norse 'hroogas' and the Icelandic 'hrotgas' with a literal meaning of
'snoring goose' and is an impression of the birds call. Pale-bellied Brent Goose
breeds in Franz Josef Land, Svalbard, Greenland and north-eastern Canada,
wintering in Denmark, northeast England and Ireland.
There have been twenty-two Pale-bellied Brent Geese
reported from S. Gloucestershire;
2010: (1)
One was seen with fifty-four
Dark-bellied Brent
Geese at Severn Beach in the morning on March 21st.
Pale-bellied Brent Goose at Severn
Beach. March 2010. Paul Bowerman.
2009: (19)
HIGHEST COUNT 18
On April 8th one was seen from the shore at Severn
Beach. It was tracked down the coast at subsequently seen at Chittening Warth;
The same or another was seen from the shore at Severn Beach on April 25th; On
September 1st eighteen (18) were noted on the shore at Severn Beach and were
last seen heading south-west at 17:00.
Pale-bellied Brent Goose, Severn Beach. April
2009. Paul Bowerman.
The largest flock of Pale-bellied Brent Geese
ever to be recorded in S. Glos and the earliest by around three months at
Severn Beach. September 2009. Paul Bowerman.
2007: (1)
One was seen at New Passage in the afternoon on
January 25th and was still present on January 26th.
Pale-bellied Brent Goose at New Passage. January
2007. Paul Bowerman.
1995: (1)
On February 12th an adult in winter plumage was
identified at Northwick Warth. This occurrence constitutes the first report of
this form for S. Gloucestershire.
Pale-bellied Brent Goose at Northwick Warth.
February 1995. Rich Andrews.