Photo: Lisa Hupp/USFWS · Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska · U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service · Public Domain
Waterfowl
Emperor Goose
Anser canagicus
A stocky, handsome goose with a white head and neck contrasting sharply with a blue-gray body and black throat. The Emperor Goose is largely endemic to Alaska and far-eastern Russia, with most of the world's population wintering along the Alaska Peninsula and Aleutian Islands. A highly localized species that draws dedicated birders to the region.
Where to look
Izembek Lagoon, Cold Bay, and the eastern Aleutians in fall and winter. St. Paul Island (Pribilofs) occasionally has migrants. Breeds on Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta tundra.
Habitat
Coastal lagoons, estuaries, and intertidal eelgrass beds.
Diet
Eelgrass, green algae, bivalves, and other intertidal invertebrates.
Natural history note
Emperor Geese feed extensively on eelgrass and green algae in intertidal zones, staining their white head feathers an orange-rust color from iron-rich water.