An archaic or historical name for a type of water bird, possibly a great northern diver or similar species with distinctive markings.
Compound of 'ember' (glowing fire, from Old English æmerian) and 'goose' (from Germanic sources). Used in Middle English ornithological descriptions, possibly referring to the bird's coloring.
The embergoose appears in medieval hunting guides and bestiaries, but because it probably refers to a diving bird that was hard to catch and study, the exact species got lost to history—it's like a taxonomic ghost story.
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