bernicla

Bernicla is a historical genus name that was used in ornithology to classify a group of geese within the family Anatidae. In contemporary taxonomy, Bernicla is not recognized as a valid genus.

The designation appeared in 19th- and early 20th-century literature, where researchers grouped several goose species based on morphological similarities. With advances in comparative anatomy and, later, molecular studies, many species once placed in Bernicla were reassigned to the genus Branta, while others were placed in Anser. As a result, Bernicla is now regarded as obsolete and is typically treated as a synonym of Branta or simply as a historical name.

In current checklists and field guides, Bernicla is not listed as a valid genus. It remains of interest to historians of science and to natural history museums, where older specimens may bear the Bernicla designation in labels or catalog entries.

The case of Bernicla illustrates broader shifts in ornithological taxonomy toward monophyletic genera based on genetic data, rather than solely on morphology.