Emperor Goose

The Emperor Goose is one of the most distinctive geese in the world, with overall bluish-grey plumage finely edged in black and white, giving each feather a scalloped, tile-like appearance. The head and back of the neck are white, often stained rusty-orange from iron-rich water, while the chin and throat are black, and the short bill is pink.

Smaller and more compact than most "grey geese," it has a stocky build, short neck, and thick orange legs that set it apart from other geese sharing its Alaskan and Siberian range.

Key field marks

• Silvery-grey body with black-and-white scalloped feather edges
• White head and nape (frequently rust-stained), black throat and chin
• Short pink bill and bright orange legs
• Compact, short-necked, barrel-chested profile

Similar species

No other North American goose shares the scaled grey plumage and white head combination, making the Emperor Goose essentially unmistakable within its range. Juveniles are duller grey overall without the white head, but the scaled body pattern and stocky build still distinguish them from other young geese.

Range and habitat

Emperor Geese breed almost entirely along the coastal tundra of western Alaska (notably the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta) and adjacent coastal Chukotka in far eastern Russia, nesting near ponds and wetlands close to the sea.

Migration

Unlike most geese, Emperor Geese are strongly coastal year-round, wintering chiefly on rocky and gravel shorelines of the Alaska Peninsula and the Aleutian Islands, where they forage in the intertidal zone rather than moving far inland.

Behavior

Emperor Geese are wary but highly social, gathering in dense flocks on beaches and mudflats, often walking and foraging along the tideline rather than swimming far offshore.

Voice

The call is a distinctive nasal, repeated "kla-ha, kla-ha" or "u-lugh-uk," harsher and more rasping than typical goose honks.

Feeding

On the breeding grounds they graze on grasses, sedges, and berries; in winter they shift to a largely intertidal diet of mussels, clams, and other invertebrates picked from rocks and mudflats.

Nesting and breeding

Nests are shallow, down-lined scrapes on the open tundra near water, typically well hidden among vegetation; females alone incubate the clutch while males stand guard nearby.