Definitions for "branta"
The black geese of the genus Branta are waterfowl belonging to the true geese and swans subfamily Anserinae. They occur in the northern coastal regions of the Palearctic and all over North America, migrating to more southernly coasts in winter, and as resident birds in the Hawaiian Islands. A self-sustaining population derived from introduced birds of one species is also found in New Zealand; these are the only true geese ever to occur in the Southern Hemisphere in a wild (or rather feral in this case) state.