A goose with a striking white head and gray body. It feeds on coastal plants and shellfish; Alaska’s Yukon–Kuskokwim Delta is one part of its breeding range.
Adults have a white head and neck, a black throat band, and a gray body. Mud can dull the white feathers on the head and neck.
Emperor Geese on Alaska’s Yukon–Kuskokwim Delta moved different distances between nesting attempts depending on whether the previous nest succeeded. Researchers used records from 245 marked geese from 2000 to 2017 to compare nest outcomes, movement distance, and major floods.
Geese whose previous nest succeeded moved an average of about 126 metres, compared with about 208 metres after failure. Among birds whose previous nest failed, nests farther from the earlier site had higher daily survival probability. Flood years changed this pattern, linking nest-site choice to changing conditions on the delta.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.
Emperor Geese changed nest-site distances in relation to previous outcomes and flooding. Recording nest results, floods, and marked-bird movements can show how breeding habitat is used across years.