Emperor Goose
Anser canagicus
The Emperor Goose (Anser canagicus) is a uncommon ducks, swans, and geese found in 15 countries, weighing about 2.1 kg. The emperor goose, also known as the beach goose or the painted goose, is a waterfowl species in the family Anatidae, which contains the ducks, geese, and swans.
About the Emperor Goose
The emperor goose, also known as the beach goose or the painted goose, is a waterfowl species in the family Anatidae, which contains the ducks, geese, and swans. In summer, the emperor goose is found in remote coastal areas near the Bering Sea in arctic and sub-arctic Alaska and the Russian Far East, where it breeds in monogamous pairs. It migrates south to winter in ice-free mudflats and coasts in Alaska, mostly the Aleutian Islands, and Canada's British Columbia, rarely reaching the contiguous United States. Listed as near threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the species' population is declining due to threats such as pollution, hunting, and climate change.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
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. Voice: Its vocalizations, according to Edward William Nelson, sound like "kla-ha, kla-ha, kla-ha", and can be differentiated from those of other geese by having a more "nasal" sound. It vocalizes less often than other geese, such as the white-fronted goose.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Canada, Belgium, Germany, Netherlands, Portugal, Norway, Poland, Iceland, France.
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, April, May, June, August, September, October, November, December, with peak activity in June. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify an Emperor Goose?
- The emperor goose has a stout blue-gray body, with spots of black and white, which cause it to have a "scaled appearance". Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is an Emperor Goose?
- The Emperor Goose is a huge sized bird weighing about 2.1 kg.
- Where can you see an Emperor Goose?
- The Emperor Goose occurs in 15 countries, including the United States, Russia, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates.
- What birds look similar to an Emperor Goose?
- The Emperor Goose is most easily confused with the Swan Goose, the Lesser White-fronted Goose and the Bar-headed Goose.
- Is the Emperor Goose endangered?
- The Emperor Goose is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Emperor Goose for real
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