Anser canagica
Status: Accidental in spring.
Documentation: A moribund adult was found by NGPC staff at Harvard WPA, Clay Co 17 Mar 1997 (Brogie 1998).
Taxonomy: The genus Chen was recently lumped with genus Anser based on genetic studies (Chesser et al 2017).
No subspecies are recognized (Gill et al 2022).
Record: A moribund adult was captured by USFWS personnel during a cholera outbreak at Harvard WPA 17 Mar 1997 and judged to be a wild bird by NOURC (Brogie 1998; eBird Checklist – 17 Mar 1997 – Harvard WPA – 1 species). The collector, Will Meeks, stated “Bird acted sick, couldn’t fly, and tried to swim away in a sneaking posture. The bird had no leg band, no toes clipped, and possessed only minimal wing wear.” The bird died soon after capture, was x-rayed, and one shotgun pellet was found to be present in the right wing (Brogie 1998).
William Lemburg, of Cairo, Nebraska, a long-time waterfowl collector, has kept this species in captivity, but had “never lost one” (William Lemburg, personal communication).
Comments: This species breeds in western Alaska and winters uncommonly along the US Pacific Coast south to Oregon, and as a vagrant as far south as Orange Co, California. About half the records have been inland but not far from the coast, such as in the Lower Klamath Basin; farthest inland records (eBird.org, accessed Mar 2023) are of one in Nevada 11 Dec 1960 (Mlodinow and O’Brien 1996), one near Bend, Oregon 26 Nov 2017- 27 May 2018, and one in Ada Co, Idaho 10 Nov 2000. Emperor Geese which are found inland tend to occur with Cackling or Greater White-fronted Geese (Mlodinow and O’Brien 1996).
Images
Abbreviations
NGPC: Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
NOURC: Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee
WPA: Waterfowl Production Area (Federal)
Literature Cited
Brogie, M.A. 1998. 1997 (Ninth) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 66: 147-159.
Chesser, R.T., K.J. Burns, C. Cicero, J.L. Dunn, A.W. Kratter, I.J. Lovette, P.C. Rasmussen, J. V. Remsen, Jr., J.D. Rising, D.F. Stotz, and K. Winker. 2017. Fifty-eighth supplement to the American Ornithological Society’s Check-list of North American Birds. Auk 134: 751-773.
Gill, F., D. Donsker, and P. Rasmussen (Eds). 2022. IOC World Bird List (v 12.2). Doi 10.14344/IOC.ML.12.2. http://www.worldbirdnames.org/
Mlodinow, S.G., and M. O’Brien. 1996. America’s 100 most wanted birds. Falcon Press, Helena, Montana, USA.
Recommended Citation
Silcock, W.R., and J.G. Jorgensen. 2023. Emperor Goose (Anser canagica). In Birds of Nebraska — Online. www.BirdsofNebraska.org
Birds of Nebraska – Online
Updated 13 Jan 2023