- Who knew the barnacle goose myth?
- Where did the barnacle goose migrate to?
- How did the sailors observe the barnacle?
- Do barnacle geese come from barnacles?
- What were the barnacles that Gerald saw?
- Is the barnacle goose a waterbird?
- Where do swans and geese migrate to in the winter?
- What is happening to the Svalbard barnacle geese?
- What did medieval naturalists believe about barnacles?
- How was the barnacle goose myth propagated during the early medieval period?
- Was the barnacle goose myth known to early Mycenaean settlers?
- Where do barnacle geese migrate to?
- Who was sceptical of the barnacle goose?
- What is the significance of Kent’s barnacles?
- Are barnacle geese in Svalbard from the Solway?
- What is the barnacle goose management project?
- Where are the geese and Swans migrating to this winter?
- Why do swans migrate?
- How do barnacle geese die?
- What is a barnaCLE Goose?
- What is a stalked barnacle?
Who knew the barnacle goose myth?
The Swedish taxonomist, Carl von Linné ( Carl Linnaeus ), knew this myth. He named one genus in his classification Lepas; including two Swedish species, Lepas anatifera (1758) and Lepas anserifera (1767). He published several versions and editions on his Systema Naturae in which the Barnacle Goose Myth was referenced.
Where did the barnacle goose migrate to?
It was not until the late 19th century that bird migration research showed that such geese migrate northwards to nest and breed in Greenland or northern Scandinavia. An early, but not the first reference to the myth of the barnacle goose, is in the eleventh century Exeter Book of Riddles. The riddle NUMBER 10, is asked as follows:
How did the sailors observe the barnacle?
In the same spirit it seems that they observed and drew the barnacle floating on timber or thrown up after a storm on their shores. They detected a resemblance in the marking of its shells to the plumage of a goose, whilst in the curvature of its stalk they saw a resemblance to the long neck of the bird. …..
Do barnacle geese come from barnacles?
Goose barnacles are small crustaceans that attach to various hard surfaces, and because both barnacle geese and goose barnacles are stripy and black and white, it was thought that the barnacle geese hatched from them. [5] The fact that nobody ever saw this happening didn’t seem to put anyone off the idea.
What were the barnacles that Gerald saw?
What Gerald saw were actually goose barnacles, a crustacean that live in the sea attached to rock surfaces and timber and often wash up on shores along with pieces of driftwood. The bulbous white shells and black stalks of these sea-creatures were mistaken by medieval people for the neck of a still-transmuting goose.
Is the barnacle goose a waterbird?
The barnacle goose is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds applies.
Where do swans and geese migrate to in the winter?
So there you have it – thousands of geese and swans are currently migrating from Iceland, Greenland and Canada to spend the winter in Ireland! Many of these species are of conservation concern and we’re lucky to have the wetlands to support them, so do keep an eye out for them in your area as the winter goes on!
What is happening to the Svalbard barnacle geese?
The Svalbard population of barnacle geese has increased dramatically since the end of the 1940s, when it was estimated that there were only a few hundred individuals left. Many new colonies have been established, and the colonies that survived the earlier hunting pressure at both ends of their migration route have all increased dramatically.
What did medieval naturalists believe about barnacles?
The story goes that medieval naturalists found logs washed ashore, covered with stalked barnacles. They thought these creatures looked like larval geese because of their long necks and wing-like ends with feathery cirri poking out. For hundreds of years, naturalists believed that a type of tree existed that grew these birds.
How was the barnacle goose myth propagated during the early medieval period?
The most important way that the Barnacle Goose myth was propagated during the early Medieval period was through Bestiaries. Bestiaries described a beast real or imaginary and used that description as a basis for an allegorical teaching.
Was the barnacle goose myth known to early Mycenaean settlers?
The debate centered on the possibility that the Barnacle Goose myth could have been known to early Mycenaean settlers c. 1600–1100 BCE. Lankester claimed that drawings, often seen on Mycenaean pottery, was an interpretation by contemporary artists of the features of typical geese.
Where do barnacle geese migrate to?
It was not until the late 19th century that bird migration research showed that such geese migrate northwards to nest and breed in Greenland or northern Scandinavia. An early, but not the first reference to the myth of the barnacle goose, is in the eleventh century Exeter Book of Riddles.
Who was sceptical of the barnacle goose?
Albertus Magnus, tutor of Thomas Aquinas and contemporary of Gerald of Wales was sceptical of the Barnacle Goose legend and Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick II (regnal dates 1220-1250) examined the Goose Barnacles and found no likeness to a bird in them.
What is the significance of Kent’s barnacles?
Just as in Gerard’s Herbal, Gerald of Wales stresses the importance of the tree as overall generator of the barnacles and the ensuing geese: ‘They take their food and nourishment from the juice of wood and water during their mysterious and remarkable generation.’ The third variation on this goose theme brings us right into Kent itself.
Are barnacle geese in Svalbard from the Solway?
GPS tracking of a group of Loch Leven breeding Barnacle Geese revealed that they departed the Solway in late February at a time when possibly the Solway numbers were being topped up by up to 2,000 birds from the Budle Bay area, many of which seem likely to be genuine Svalbard birds based on ring sightings.
What is the barnacle goose management project?
The GSMP is organised by the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) in partnership with the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) and NatureScot with fieldwork conducted by volunteers. The Svalbard population of Barnacle Goose breeds in the Svalbard archipelago, mostly in western Spitsbergen, the largest of the islands.
Where are the geese and Swans migrating to this winter?
So there you have it – thousands of geese and swans are currently migrating from Iceland, Greenland and Canada to spend the winter in Ireland! Many of these species are of conservation concern and we’re lucky to have the wetlands to support them, so do keep an eye out for them in your area as the winter goes on!
Why do swans migrate?
They migrate for only one reason; to take advantage of the very short but extremely productive summers in the Arctic tundra, where they breed. Many of these swans then return south to spend their winters in mild climates.
How do barnacle geese die?
Not uncommonly, a whole barnacle goose brood may be lost. One 1998 study on barnacle geese in Svalbard detailed such a grim scene: “A parent male accidentally knocked one gosling off the cliff ledge, another was taken by a glaucous gull, and the third perished after jumping into a waterfall,” the authors wrote.
What is a barnaCLE Goose?
Barnacle goose. Description: Barnacle geese are medium-sized geese (58- 70 cm long, 1.5-2 kg in weight) with contrasty plumage: black neck and partially white head. They are easily distinguished from the other two commonly breeding geese in Spitsbergen, Pink-footed geese and the more rarely seen Brant goose.
What is a stalked barnacle?
Stalked barnacles are more common on floating objects out at sea. No one is certain of the origins for the word barnacle, but it seems the Barnacle Goose had the name first. The story goes that medieval naturalists found logs washed ashore, covered with stalked barnacles.
