Brant (goose) the "Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds" applies. "Branta" is a Latinised form of Old Norse "brandgás", "burnt (black) goose", and "bernicla" is the medieval Latin name for the barnacle. The brant and the similar barnacle goose were previously considered one species, formerly believed to be the same creature as the crustacean. That myth can be dated back to at least the 12th century. Gerald of Wales claimed to have seen these birds hanging down from pieces of timber, William Turner accepted the theory, and John Gerard claimed to have seen the birds emerging from their shells. The
Branta from the Big Island of Hawai‘i was extremely large and flightless; it is tentatively assigned to this genus due to being very peculiar. It is fairly certain that at least another species of this genus awaits discovery on the Big Island, judging from the facts that at least one species of "Branta" was found on every major Hawaiian island, and that remains of such birds have not been intentionally searched for on the Big Island (but see below). The species are: Tentatively assigned to "Branta": The relationships of the enigmatic "Geochen rhuax" were long unresolved. After reexamination of the subfossil