Opening Summary
The emperor goose (Anser canagica) is a species of goose native to the Pacific coast of North America. Its common name refers to the distinctive markings on the head and nape which resemble a crown. The emperor goose is closely related to the larger snow goose and the smaller Ross’s goose.
The emperor goose breeds in Alaska and northeastern Siberia, then migrates to spend the winter along the west coast of North America from Alaska to California. Its diet consists mainly of seagrass, sedges, berries, and small invertebrates.
The global population of emperor geese is estimated to be around 135,000 individuals. Their numbers declined substantially in the late 20th century due to hunting and loss of habitat, but have since rebounded with improved conservation measures. Emperor geese are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act in the United States.
Naming and Classification
The emperor goose belongs to the family Anatidae, which includes ducks, geese, and swans. Its scientific name is Anser canagica. Anser is the Latin genus name for geese, while canagica comes from the Greek word kanagikos meaning “of Cana”, an ancient Greek colony on the Black Sea coast.
The emperor goose was first scientifically described by the German naturalist Peter Simon Pallas in 1811. He gave it the scientific name Anas canagica based on a specimen from the Aleutian Islands. It was later moved to the genus Anser which contains the true geese.
Its common name refers to the distinctive pattern on the head and nape which resembles a crown or wreath. Other common names include emperor, emperor brant, black-headed goose, and spectacled eider goose.
Taxonomy
The emperor goose is grouped with the white geese in the genus Anser along with the snow goose, Ross’s goose, and other closely related species. Its closest relative is the snow goose. Hybrids between emperor geese and snow geese have been documented in the wild.
Here is the taxonomic classification of the emperor goose:
Kingdom | Animalia |
Phylum | Chordata |
Class | Aves |
Order | Anseriformes |
Family | Anatidae |
Subfamily | Anserinae |
Genus | Anser |
Species | A. canagica |
Description
The emperor goose is a medium-sized goose measuring 22-28 inches long with a wingspan of 50-54 inches. It weighs 3-7 pounds.
The adult has a dark head, neck, breast and tail. The crown, nape, and rear neck are white, creating a distinctive wreath or crescent marking. The wings and back are light gray. The black bill is short with a pink band near the tip. The legs and feet are also pink.
Males and females look alike but the female is slightly smaller. Juveniles lack the bold black and white head pattern, instead they are gray overall with some white mottling on the head and neck. The juvenile plumage is molted by early spring.
The emperor goose has a more upright stance compared to other geese. In flight, it has rapid wingbeats like a large duck. The voice is a melodic kla-ha-ha, higher-pitched than most geese.
Distinguishing Features
The distinctive black and white head pattern makes the emperor goose easy to identify. No other North American goose has this marking.
The cackling goose has some black on the neck but lacks the white crown or nape patch. Ross’s goose is all white with a short black bill. The snow goose is larger and all white except for black wingtips.
Juvenile emperor geese show gray plumage with faint white spotting on head and neck. They can potentially be confused with young white-fronted geese which exhibit some gray feathers as juveniles. However white-fronted geese have an orange rather than pink bill and lack any hint of a dark head.
Distribution and Habitat
The emperor goose has a circumarctic distribution, breeding in subarctic coastal areas and wintering at temperate latitudes. The total global population is estimated at 135,000 birds.
Breeding Range
The majority of emperor geese breed in Alaska from the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta in the west to the North Slope in the north and east. Important nesting areas include the Ahklun salt marshes, Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge, and Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Smaller numbers breed in extreme northeastern Siberia, primarily in the Anadyr lowlands and on Wrangel Island off the Chukotka Peninsula.
They typically nest within 15 miles of the coast, favoring lowland tundra and coastal wetlands near ponds, lakes, streams, or salt marshes. Nests are built on the ground lined with down and vegetation.
Wintering Range
After breeding, emperor geese undertake a long migration to wintering areas along the Pacific coast. The Alaskan birds migrate southwest to winter from Puget Sound down to California.
The geese from Siberia travel southeast to winter in Japan and China, mainly along the Yellow Sea. Significant wintering sites include Gray’s Harbor in Washington and the Fraser River Delta and Vancouver Island in British Columbia.
Winter habitat includes estuaries, tidal marshes, mudflats, and agricultural fields within 10 miles of the coast. Some emperor geese also overwinter in inland areas of Oregon, Nevada, Utah, and interior British Columbia.
Migration Routes
Emperor geese take different fall and spring migration routes. In autumn, most fly overland diagonally across Alaska, the Yukon, and British Columbia to reach wintering grounds.
In spring, the geese migrate up the Pacific coast, stopping to rest and feed in places like Izembek Lagoon in Alaska. Their entire annual migration can cover over 5,000 miles between nesting and wintering areas.
Diet and Feeding
The emperor goose is almost exclusively herbivorous, feeding on grasses, sedges, green vegetation, berries, and aquatic plants. Their diet changes seasonally based on food availability.
Breeding Grounds
On the tundra breeding grounds, emperor geese graze extensively on cotton-grass and sedge shoots and roots. They also consume crowberries, cloudberries, and other low-growing tundra plants.
In coastal marshes, they feed on grass and sedge sprouts, bulrush, arrowgrass, pondweed, and eelgrass. They will also dig up roots and tubers from shallow water.
Migration
During migration, emperor geese stop to feed in wetlands along the coast. They consume more grasses, sedges, green algae, and eelgrass in estuaries and salt marshes. Berries and agricultural grains may also be eaten when available.
Wintering Grounds
In its coastal winter range, the emperor goose’s diet is dominated by eelgrass and green algae foraged from shallow saltwater bays and inlets. They also graze on salt marsh plants like glasswort, cordgrass, and sea plantain.
Geese in agricultural regions will feed on waste grains in fields of rice, wheat, barley, and oats. Some berries and aquatic vegetation are eaten as well during winter.
Feeding Behavior
Emperor geese feed both on land and in water. They walk slowly on land with their heads down, grazing on grasses and sedges. In water, they tip-up or dive headfirst to reach underwater plants.
They are wary feeders, frequently raising their heads to scan for potential threats. Emperor geese may feed both day and night, especially during migration when they build up fat reserves. They roost on open water at night.
Life History
Emperor geese have a complex annual cycle adapted to breeding in the far north and wintering at temperate latitudes. They exhibit strong mate and family fidelity.
Breeding
Emperor geese first breed at 2 or 3 years old. They arrive at breeding areas in late May through early June after ice breakup.
Pairs establish and defend nesting territories, then construct shallow bowl-shaped nests lined with vegetative down and feathers. The female lays 3-6 eggs that hatch after 23-24 days of incubation.
Hatching peaks in early July. Both parents attend and protect the goslings while leading them to feeding areas. Families migrate together to wintering grounds by late September.
Wintering
On coastal wintering areas, emperor geese form large flocks numbering in the thousands. They feed heavily to build up fat reserves and meet nutritional needs for migration and reproduction.
Winter flocks break up when geese begin the northward spring migration in April and May. Emperor geese display high mate and family fidelity, reuniting each year to breed.
Longevity
The typical lifespan of emperor geese in the wild is 10-15 years. The oldest known banded emperor goose was at least 21 years old. Their annual adult survival rate is estimated to be around 80%.
Major threats faced by emperor geese include predation, hunting, loss of staging and winter habitat, and extreme weather events on breeding grounds. Conservation measures have aided the recovery of their populations.
Population Status
The global emperor goose population declined sharply in the 1970s and 1980s due to unsustainable hunting and low breeding success, but has rebounded in recent decades with improved management.
Population Decline
It is estimated there were 190,000 emperor geese worldwide in 1963. By the mid-1980s, their numbers had plummeted to around 80,000. Declines were steepest in the Pacific Flyway population.
Excessive sport and subsistence harvesting diminished adult survival rates. Reproductive failure from adverse weather, predation, and nest parasites also contributed to population declines.
Protection and Recovery
In the late 1980s, emperor geese were designated as a Species of Special Concern by state and federal agencies. New hunting restrictions and habitat protections were implemented.
Some key actions aiding emperor goose recovery:
- Listing under the Endangered Species Act from 1986-2001
- Banning hunting in the Pacific Flyway from 1983-1992
- Establishing Yukon Delta NWR and Alaska Maritime NWR
- Restricted subsistence harvest quotas
- Predator control programs on nesting grounds
Thanks to these conservation measures, emperor goose numbers rebounded to around 150,000 by the early 2000s, leading to their delisting as a federally threatened species in 2001.
Current Population Status
The current worldwide population of emperor geese is estimated at about 135,000 individuals. The Pacific Flyway population comprises 120,000-125,000 geese, while 5,000-10,000 occur in the East Asian Flyway.
Populations are considered stable or slightly increasing overall. However, emperor geese still face potential threats from oil and gas development, climate change, subsistence overharvests, and competition with snow goose populations. Ongoing monitoring and habitat protections remain important for their long-term preservation.
Year | Global Population Estimate |
---|---|
1963 | 190,000 |
1985 | 80,000 |
2001 | 150,000 |
2015 | 130,000 |
2020 | 135,000 |
Relationship to Humans
Emperor geese have long held cultural significance for Native peoples of the Pacific coast who hunted them sustainably for subsistence. Today they are valued by birdwatchers and waterfowl hunters, as well as ecologically as part of coastal wetland ecosystems.
Subsistence Hunting
For thousands of years, Native American and Alaska Native tribes like the Aleuts, Yupik, and Inuit have hunted emperor geese for food, clothing, and other uses. They developed careful hunting practices to avoid depleting local populations.
From the 1960s-1980s, increased use of modern hunting methods led to unsustainably high harvest levels, contributing to the sharp decline in emperor goose numbers. Restrictions imposed since then have made subsistence hunting sustainable once again.
Recreational Hunting
Emperor geese were popular among recreational hunters in Alaska during the 1960s and 1970s. Hunting seasons were eventually closed in Alaska from 1984-1992 and quotas reduced when reopened to help restore populations to health.
Today emperor geese can be legally hunted in Alaska and Russia but within strict limits on total harvest numbers. Only adult geese can be taken. Special permits are required along with other regulations.
Birdwatching
Birders enjoy viewing emperor geese in migration hotspots like Izembek Lagoon as well as on their wintering grounds. The emperor goose’s majestic appearance and remote Arctic breeding range add to its appeal as a wildlife viewing subject.
Interpretive sites like Point Reyes National Seashore in California cater to visitors coming to see wintering flocks of emperor geese and other waterfowl. Controlled public viewing access aids conservation education.
Wetland Conservation
Protection of wetland habitats used by emperor geese both along their migration corridors and in wintering regions has been crucial to their population recovery.
Key sites like Izembek and Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuges preserve vital habitat. Continued wetland conservation will be important for the emperor goose’s future in the face of development pressures and climate change.
Fun Facts
Here are a few interesting and entertaining facts about the unique emperor goose:
– An emperor goose’s black and white head markings resemble a tuxedo or pilgrim’s hat – leading to nicknames like the “tuxedo goose.”
– Their wings make a unique melodic “trilling” sound in flight that people sometimes liken to musical notes.
– Emperor goslings hatch covered in down and able to leave the nest soon after to search for food.
– Fossil evidence shows that ancient predecessors of the emperor goose once lived across North America and Eurasia.
– Alaska’s Aleutian Islands got their name from the Aleut word for emperor goose “alaxsxaq” or “alert green vegetable eater.”
– Emperor geese mate for life and go through elaborate courtship rituals each spring to re-establish their bond.
– Their eggs are heavily guarded after laying; the gander will stay near the nest while the goose is away feeding.
– Rare emperor goose hybrids with the larger snow goose have been documented in the wild on a few occasions.
– Emperor geese migrate in family groups or flocks of up to 200 birds, flying in V-formations to reduce wind resistance.
– Native Alaskan hunters use insulated emperor goose skin as valuable material for warm, waterproof clothing and gloves.
Conclusion
In summary, the emperor goose is a graceful migratory waterfowl species recognized by its elegant black and white head markings. It breeds in the remote coastal wetlands of Alaska and Siberia then migrates along the Pacific coast to winter as far south as California.
Once threatened by overhunting and habitat loss, improved legal protections and management programs have allowed emperor goose populations to rebound in recent decades. Ongoing conservation efforts focused on protecting vital wetland ecosystems will help ensure the future of this majestic bird into the years to come.