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solan (SOH-luhn) - n., the northern gannet.
Also called solan goose, although a gannet is nothing like a goose. It's the largest gannet, with wingspans up to 2 meters, and despite the name travels as far south as central America -- the name is to distinguish it from the two southern hemisphere species. Name dates to the middle ages, probably of Scandinavian origin, in turn from Old Norse sūla, gannet + ǫnd, duck -- even though it's nothing like a duck either.
And that's this week of mostly seabirds -- I would have mixed it up a bit more if I'd realized that.
---L.
Also called solan goose, although a gannet is nothing like a goose. It's the largest gannet, with wingspans up to 2 meters, and despite the name travels as far south as central America -- the name is to distinguish it from the two southern hemisphere species. Name dates to the middle ages, probably of Scandinavian origin, in turn from Old Norse sūla, gannet + ǫnd, duck -- even though it's nothing like a duck either.
And that's this week of mostly seabirds -- I would have mixed it up a bit more if I'd realized that.
---L.
