Emperor Goose
A species of White geese Scientific name : Anser canagicus Genus : White geese
Emperor Goose, A species of White geese
Botanical name: Anser canagicus
Genus: White geese
Content
Description General Info
Photo By Tony Hisgett from Birmingham, UK , used under CC-BY-2.0 /Cropped and compressed from original 
Description
The emperor goose has a stout blue-gray body, with spots of black and white, which cause it to have a "scaled appearance". Its head and the back of its neck are white and tinged with amber-yellow; unlike the snow goose, the white does not extend to the front of the neck. The goose is also characterized by a black chin and throat, a white tail, a pink bill, which is tipped with white, and yellow-orange legs and feet. The underside of the emperor goose's wings is gray, unlike the snow goose, which has black and white on the underside of its wings. The head of adults frequently turns to a reddish-brown color in summer, due to its feeding in tidal pools with iron oxide. Goslings (i.e. young shortly after hatching) are grayish-white colored; unlike adults, their bill is black. Goslings are also distinguished from adults by having gray, brown, or black feet and an area of white surrounding the bill for the first three weeks after hatching. Juveniles (i.e. immature specimens older than goslings) are mostly gray colored, with a small amount of white on their feathers. Younger juveniles have a dark head and neck, with their head being dusty-colored with patches of white. However, after October, their head and upper neck turn to mostly white, although they still have scattered darker feathers. By the first winter, juveniles have the same coloring and features as adults. Adult males grow to a total length of 26–28 inches (66–71 cm) and females 25.6–27.5 inches (65–70 cm). Other measurements in males, sampled from four specimens in Alaska and California, include a 2.5–2.98-inch (6.4–7.6 cm) tarsus (lower leg), a 1.42–1.6-inch (3.6–4.1 cm) bill, and a 13.5–15.5-inch (34–39 cm) folded wing. These measurements are similar in females, but females have a slightly shorter folded wing of 14.75–15.45 inches (37.5–39.2 cm) based on two Alaskan individuals. The goose has a wingspan of 119 centimetres (47 in). Because of its short wings, it flies slowly, requiring quick strokes. Males weigh between 2.766 kilograms (6.10 lb) and 3.129 kilograms (6.90 lb). They have a mean weight of 2.316 kilograms (5.11 lb), while females have a mean weight of 1.945 kilograms (4.29 lb). The average weight of juveniles is 1.165 kilograms (2.57 lb) in males and 1.107 kilograms (2.44 lb) in females. Roughly 5–7.5 weeks after hatching, the goose averages a weight of 2.370 kilograms (5.22 lb) and 1.926 kilograms (4.25 lb) in males and females, respectively. It has a heavy body and short neck compared to other geese. 
Size
41 - 81 cm
Life Expectancy
25 years (captivity), 12 years (wild)
Nest Placement
Ground
Feeding Habits
Emperor Goose's diet varies seasonally, feeding on marine invertebrates, such as Baltic clam, blue mussel, and barnacles, in winter, and grazing on grasses, sedges, and berries in summer. They forage in shallow waters and tundra, prying prey from substrates, digging roots, and plucking ripe berries.
Habitat
Emperor Goose typically reside in coastal and tundra wetland ecosystems. Preferring low-altitude regions, they thrive in a climate where summer provides ample wetlands for breeding in habitats like the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta saltmarshes. This environment is rich in sedges, grasses, and dwarf shrubs, vital for feeding. In winter, emperor Goose seek ice-free coastal lagoons, mudflats, and rocky shores. During migration, they frequent northern Alaska Peninsula's tidal areas, relying on eelgrass and sea lettuce. Their nesting sites are often in short vegetation by riverbanks and sloughs or on tundra hummocks.
Nest Behavior
The female of emperor Goose selects the site and begins nest construction by making scrapes, laying the initial egg, and then continues building while laying more eggs. The male follows her but does not assist in building the nest. After the full complement of eggs is laid, both parents share in the duty of incubation and care for the young.
Nest Characteristics
Emperor Goose's nest, crafted by the female, is typically situated amidst tall, dead vegetation near a water body or tundra elevation. The structure, with an average diameter of 14.8 inches and a 7.8 inch wide by 3.2 inch deep interior cup, is made with down feathers and local flora.
Dite type
Herbivorous
General Info
Behavior
Emperor Goose exhibit a distinctly monogamous mating system, often pairing for life. Upon arrival at their spring nesting grounds, emperor Goose typically already have a mate and may be accompanied by offspring from the previous year. Their courtship, though infrequently observed, consists of subtle head-dipping gestures. Nest preparation and egg incubation are solely the female's responsibility, while the male vigilantly guards the area against potential threats such as predators or intruders, including humans and other geese. Both parents engage in protective behaviors that include distraction displays, hissing, and an aggressive posture to ensure the safety of their nest and young. Interspecific interactions, particularly during foraging when mixed with other geese species, are marked by a clear need for personal foraging space, with emperor Goose exhibiting threatening behaviors to maintain distance. The size of the territory emperor Goose defend around their nests is highly variable, sometimes being tightly packed or at other times spanning larger distances. Family bonds persist year-round, with families foraging together and defending their space from other groups.
Distribution Area
During the summer, the emperor goose lives in arctic and subarctic climates in the Bering Sea, around Alaska and a small part of north-east Russia. Its habitats in this season include freshwater pools, inland lakes, and coastal lagoons. 90% of specimens nest on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. In the winter, after its southerly migration, it lives primarily among the Aleutian Islands, as well as on the Alaska Peninsula and the Kodiak Island. It sometimes spends winters in Canada and rarely as far south as northwestern California. Areas in California the species has been found living in, as of 1918, include Humboldt Bay, Gridley, Davis, Rio Vista, Colusa County, Ingomar, Modesto, and Dixon. Its habitats are mudflats and rocky shores in the winter, in areas free of ice, and tundra wetlands in the summer. Its extent of occurrence is estimated to be 775,000 square kilometres (299,000 sq mi). As of August 2017, the emperor goose's population is increasing slowly. In 1879, the emperor goose was found by Edward William Nelson to be abundant along the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. In 1923, however, Arthur Cleveland Bent observed much fewer specimens, and reported that the population had decreased over the past 30 years prior to that. Bent said that "large numbers are killed each year and their eggs taken by the natives, even within the limits of what is supposed to be a reservation", which was a major reason for the goose's decrease in population. In 1964, the goose's population was 139,000, which decreased to 42,000 in 1986. The population subsequently increased, with its population having been 85,000 in 2002 and over 98,000 in 2015; According to the emperor goose's entry on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which was entered on 1 October 2016, the total population of the emperor goose is decreasing. However, it also said that the trend is not clear and it is increasing in parts of North America. Julian Fischer, a wildlife biologist, said in a news article published in August 2017, that the population has been experiencing a slow, steady increase. He stated that the population had over doubled in size from the early 1980s, and that it may be as large as 170,000. Although the reasons for the emperor goose's population decline are not well known, it is believed to be threatened by oil pollution, hunting, and climate change. Other factors contributing to the species' population decline include competing with the cackling goose for food and the preying of goslings. The emperor goose is listed as near threatened on the IUCN Red List and rated 14 out of 20 on the Continental Concern Score. The 2016 State of North America's Birds' Watch List, a list of threatened birds that have no major conservation actions taking place for them, includes the emperor goose. Due to its low population in the 1980s, recreational and subsistence hunts closed for the goose in 1986 and 1987, respectively. However, 30 years later, hunts became legal again after the population grew significantly. In 2015, the Alaska Migratory Bird Co-Management Council suggested for hunting of the bird to be allowed if the population were to grow to a certain number. On 2 April 2017, subsistence hunting was allowed for the emperor goose, with hunters able to kill an unlimited number of geese. In fall 2017, emperor geese were allowed to be hunted for recreational purposes by locals of Alaska with a permit, with a limit of one bird per person. In 2018, hunters who were not residing in Alaska were permitted to hunt the geese with a permit. However, the species cannot be hunted anywhere in the contiguous United States.
