A magnificent Arctic sea duck — males have spectacular orange-yellow knob on bill. Wintering populations sometimes reach US Northeast.
§ Quick facts
§ Encyclopedia
The king eider is a large sea duck that breeds along Northern Hemisphere Arctic coasts of northeast Europe, North America and Asia. The birds spend most of the year in coastal marine ecosystems at high latitudes, and migrate to Arctic tundra to breed in June and July. They lay four to seven eggs in a scrape on the ground lined with grass and down.
Source: Wikipedia — King eider Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
§ Identification
Field marks. Male unmistakable: blue-gray crown and nape, green cheeks, and a large orange frontal shield above a red bill. Female warm rusty-brown with crescent-shaped barring.
Similar species. Common Eider male has a sloping white face and lacks the orange shield; female King is warmer and rounder-headed than Common.
Voice. Male gives a dovelike cooing 'urrr-urrr-urrr'.
§ Diet & behavior
Diet. Varies by species: aquatic plants, seeds, invertebrates, fish.
Behavior. A high-arctic sea duck that dives deep for mollusks and crustaceans; winters at the edge of the pack ice in large rafts.
§ Range
Arctic North America
§ Habitat
Arctic seas
§ Threats
Climate-driven Arctic warming, oil spills.
§ Conservation status
According to the IUCN Red List, the king eider is currently classified as Least Concern.
§ What helps
Support Arctic conservation. Reduce ocean pollution.
§ Further reading
- Wikipedia — King eider
- www.allaboutbirds.org — authoritative profile of Somateria spectabilis
- IUCN Red List — search for Somateria spectabilis
- GBIF occurrence records
- Encyclopedia of Life — Somateria spectabilis
§ Sources cited
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology — All About Birds
- National Audubon Society
- iNaturalist
- IUCN Red List
