A medium Arctic eider with distinctive "spectacles" pattern around eyes. Wintering populations concentrated in narrow Bering Sea region.
§ Quick facts
§ Encyclopedia
The spectacled eider is a large sea duck that breeds on the coasts of Alaska and northeastern Siberia.
Source: Wikipedia — Spectacled eider Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
§ Identification
Field marks. Male has a pale green head with large white 'spectacles' (goggles) around the eye, black breast, and white back. Female brown with paler goggle patches.
Similar species. The bold pale eye 'spectacles' are diagnostic in both sexes; other eiders lack them.
Voice. Generally silent; weak crooning in courtship.
§ Diet & behavior
Diet. Varies by species: aquatic plants, seeds, invertebrates, fish.
Behavior. A threatened sea duck of the Bering Sea; winters in openings in the pack ice in huge concentrations. Breeds on Alaskan and Siberian arctic coasts.
§ Range
Arctic Alaska, Russia
§ Habitat
Arctic sea coasts
§ Threats
Oil spill vulnerability, climate change.
§ Conservation status
According to the IUCN Red List, the spectacled eider is currently classified as Near Threatened.
§ What helps
Support Arctic conservation. Reduce fossil fuel emissions.
§ Further reading
- Wikipedia — Spectacled eider
- www.fws.gov — authoritative profile of Somateria fischeri
- IUCN Red List — search for Somateria fischeri
- GBIF occurrence records
- Encyclopedia of Life — Somateria fischeri
§ Sources cited
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology — All About Birds
- National Audubon Society
- iNaturalist
- IUCN Red List
