Bird
Common Eider
Somateria mollissimaAlso known as St. Cuthbert's Duck, Cuddy's Duck
Common Eiders dive up to twenty meters into freezing coastal waters to pluck blue mussels and sea urchins, swallowing shellfish whole and crushing the shells in their muscular gizzards. Females line their ground nests with exceptionally soft down plucked from their own breasts, insulating eggs against harsh Arctic winds. Outside the breeding season, thousands gather in massive rafts offshore, flying in low lines over the ocean surface at impressive speeds.
Sea DuckDiving BirdCoastal
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Near ThreatenedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNear ThreatenedRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyBlue Mussel, Green Crab, Sea Urchin
Predators
- Arctic Fox
- Glaucous Gull
- Great Black-backed Gull
ThreatsAvian influenza, climate change, oil spills, overharvesting
HabitatsCoastal ocean waters, rocky shores, tundra islands, estuaries
Life span15–20 years
Classification
- OrderAnseriformes
- FamilyAnatidae
- GenusSomateria
- SpeciesSomateria mollissima
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
- What to notice
- Recognizable by its large size, wedge-shaped head profile, and the male's striking black-and-white plumage with a greenish nape.
- Support conservation
- Keep a wide berth around breeding colonies on rocky islets to prevent female nest abandonment and exposure of eggs to predators.
Responsible observation
- Nesting Etiquette: Keep a respectful distance from coastal islands during spring to avoid scaring brooding females off their nests.
- Winter Watching: Look for vast rafts floating just offshore using a spotting scope along cold temperate coastlines.
- Identification Tip: Observe the uniquely sloping wedge-shaped head profile that blends seamlessly into the bill.
Primary Prey (c) Connie Taylor, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Connie Taylor · cc-by
Predator Alastair Rae from London, UK / CC BY-SA 2.0 · cc-by-sa
Close Relative (c) Сергей Неклюдов, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Image unavailableClose Relative Close Relative
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