Species › Birds

Barnacle Goose

Branta leucopsis(Bechstein, 1803)

Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Presence in the Strait: Vagrant
Protection in Spain: Special protection (List)
In Spanish: Barnacla cariblanca

Photograph: Andrey from Finland, CC BY 2.0, vía Wikimedia Commons

Length: 58–70 cm
Wingspan: 132–145 cm
Weight: 1,700 g

Presence in the Strait

Accidental. One bird on the 11th & 12.09.93 at Barbate Reservoir.

Identification

Medium-sized black, grey and white goose. Breeds on Arctic coasts and islands.

Bioestrecho editorial text. Last revised: 8 September 2026.

Photographs from iNaturalist observations with the licence checked file by file. Those marked “Strait” were taken within the area; place and date are those of each observation.

Calendar in the Strait

No observations with a compatible licence in the area, or taxon without a match in GBIF.

Conservation

The catalogues, Andalusian and Spanish, are what binds; the Red Book assesses the Spanish population with IUCN criteria, and the global Red List is the context.

Andalusian Catalogue: Special protection (List)
Spanish Catalogue: Special protection (List)
Red Book of the Birds of Spain 2021: Outside the Red List (not assessed)
Global Red List (IUCN): Not assessed

Annex I of the Birds Directive

Andalusian Catalogue: Junta de Andalucía, list of 24 April 2025. Spanish Catalogue: MITECO, table of 30 June 2025. Red Book: SEO/BirdLife, 2021 (Annex I). IUCN: via GBIF, 6 September 2026. Red Book and IUCN categories are assessments; catalogue categories are legal obligations.

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
GBIF taxon key: 5232464

Sources

Distribution and calendar: GBIF, live query
Photograph: Andrey from Finland, CC BY 2.0, vía Wikimedia Commons
Taxonomy: GBIF backbone, pending WoRMS for marine taxa
Editorial text: written by Bioestrecho
Last revised: 8 September 2026

Barnacle Goose

Presence in the Strait

Identification

Gallery