Emperor Goose / Beach Goose / Painted Goose [Anser Canagicus]

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In this video, we learn about the emperor goose.

QUICK FACTS:
• Lifespan: 25 (captivity) 12 (wild)
• Size: 26–28 in (male); 25.6–27.5 in
• Mass (male): 6.5 lb (male); 4.29 lb (female)
• Wingspan: 47 in
• Family: Anatidae

Description
The emperor goose, also known as the painted goose, is a threatened waterfowl species. Its plumage is mostly blue-gray, with scaly patterning. It has a white head and nape tinged with yellow, a white tail, and a black chin and throat.

Its bill is pink with a white tip, and it has orange-yellow legs and feet. Goslings are grayish-white with a black bill and juveniles are mostly gray.

Vocalizations: Call and song
The emperor goose has a loud, willying call. Its voice is more nasal than other geese.

Distribution and range
Emperor geese are native to Alaska and a small region in northeast Russia. During winter, they may be spotted in Canada and on rare occasion as far south as northwest California.

Habitat
They inhabit wetlands, salt marshes, mudflats, brackish rivers, and lakes.

Diet and feeding habits
Their diet comprises mussels, barnacles, and other invertebrates. They also eat plant foods such as roots, shoots, and berries.

Nesting and breeding
Emperor geese are monogamous. They nest on the ground amidst tall vegetation. The nest is a scrape lined with scrapes lined with down and leaves.

Females typically lay four to six eggs and the incubation period lasts around twenty-four days. The precocial goslings are able to walk, swim, and feed themselves hours after hatching. They remain close to the nest for about two months and fledge at roughly two months old.

Status and conservation
Populations have been in decline since the early 1900s but have shown an increase in recent years.

Threats include oil pollution, hunting, egg-collecting, and climate change. The species is evaluated as “near-threatened” by the IUCN.

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