Emperor goose - psilos bird photography

This is a small stocky goose found in Alaska and neighbouring parts of Russia. Breeding and wintering in coastal areas this is a bird that is threatened in the wild. Numbers have decreased steadily since the 1960s and noone seems to know the reason why, though a vulnerability to changing environmental conditions is thought to play a large role. During the breeding season these birds feed mainly on aquatic vegetation. During the winter this changes to a diet made up of invertebrates and marine vegetation.