What is "emperor goose"

Emperor \Em"per*or\, n. [OF. empereor, empereour, F. empereur, L. imperator, fr. imperare to command; in in + parare to prepare, order. See Parade, and cf. Imperative, Empress.] The sovereign or supreme monarch of an empire; -- a title of dignity superior to that of king; as, the emperor of Germany or of Austria; the emperor or Czar of Russia.

Emperor goose (Zo["o]l.), a large and handsome goose ( Philacte canagica), found in Alaska.

Emperor moth (Zo["o]l.), one of several large and beautiful bombycid moths, with transparent spots on the wings; as the American Cecropia moth ( Platysamia cecropia), and the European species ( Saturnia pavonia).

Emperor paper. See under Paper.

Purple emperor (Zo["o]l.), a large, strong British butterfly ( Apatura iris).

The emperor goose (Chen canagica) is a species of goose. It breeds around the Bering Sea, mostly in Alaska, United States, but also in Kamchatka, Russia. It is migratory, wintering mainly in the Aleutian Islands. The species is listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN.

The American Ornithologists' Union places this species and the North American "white" geese in the genus Chen, rather than the more traditional "gray" goose genus Anser.

This goose has a stout gray body, subtly barred with fine barring, and a white head and hindneck, often stained orange from iron-rich waters. Unlike the blue-morph snow goose, the white does not extend onto the front of the neck. The sexes are similar, but immatures have the head the same color as the body.

This species is much less gregarious than most geese, usually occurring in family groups. It breeds on coastal tundra, laying 3–7 eggs in a ground nest.

Breeding birds molt near the breeding colonies, but non-breeders move to St. Lawrence Island to molt prior to the main migration to the rocky coastlines of the wintering grounds.

The food of this goose is typically composed of shoreline grasses and other coastal plants.