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 correctly assigned – meaning that the genus "Anser" was once much more widespread than today and that it coexisted with "Branta" in freshwater habitat which it today does only most rarely – is not clear. Especially in the case of "B. dickeyi" and "B. howardae", doubts have been expressed about its correct generic assignment. The former ""Branta" minuscula" is now placed with the prehistoric American shelducks, "Anabernicula". On the other hand, a goose fossil from the Early-Middle Pleistocene of El Salvador is highly similar to "Anser" and given its age and biogeography it is likely to belong to that genus