Emperor Goose

Overview

Emperor Goose: Small goose with slate-gray plumage subtly barred white and black. Head, hindneck are white while foreneck is dark. Short, pink bill. Tail is white with black undertail coverts. Legs are bright yellow-orange. Feeds on plants, crustaceans, mollusks. Direct flight with rapid wing beats.

Range and Habitat

Emperor Goose: Breeds on islands and marshy coasts of western Alaska and winters mainly in the Aleutian Islands east to Kodiak Island. Preferred habitats include coasts, mudflats, and coastal tundra.

INTERESTING FACTS

The Emperor Goose population declined from an estimated 139,000 in 1964 to 42,000 in 1986. The causes of this decline are not well understood. Currently, the population seems to be on the rise in Alaska. The 2000 population survey was 62,600 geese, which was 38% higher than the previous year's estimate. A group of geese has many collective nouns, including a "blizzard", "chevron", "knot", "plump", and "string" of geese.