King Eider (Somateria spectabilis)

Family
Anatidae (Ducks, Geese, Swans)

Size
47 - 63 cm

First Described (Guide)
(Linnaeus, 1758)

Habitat
Arctic Tundra. In Britain off rocky coasts and in sheltered bays and estuaries. During the breeding season on freshwater pools, small lakes and slow-moving rivers.

Range (Guide)

Canada (B) (NB) (P), Denmark (NB) (P), Finland (NB), Greenland (B) (NB), Iceland (NB), Japan, Norway (NB), Russia (Asian) (B), Russia (Central Asian) (B), Russia (European) (B) (NB) (P), St Pierre and Miquelon (NB) (P), Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands (B), Sweden (NB), USA (B).

Vagrant to Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands Antilles, Poland, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom.

Arctic coasts, except Iceland and Scandinavia, where may breed sporadically.

Population
Estimated population is 790,000 - 930,000 (2010).

Status LC
For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

Food
Mainly molluscs, especially mussels and other crustaceans.

Voice
Mostly silent. A cooing call is uttered by the male during courstship.

Xeno-Canto Sound Files (more (15)...)

King Eider (Somateria) [XC181186]
by Andrew Spencer from Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen, Norway (call)

King Eider (Somateria spectabilis) [XC30124]
by Patrik \u00c5berg from Pensthorpe, Norfolk, United Kingdom (call, drake calls)

Nest
Open ground, usually near water.

Eggs (Guide)
4 - 5; olive.

Subspecies
Closely linked to Common Eider (Somateria mollissima), with which it frequently hybridizes.

No subspecies.

References
See References.

The Reader's Digest Book of British Birds 1980, 3rd Edition, Drive Publications Ltd ISBN 0 340 25308 8
Birds in Colour Campbell, B., 1960, Penguin Books Ltd
The Pocket Guide to Nest and Eggs Fitter, R.S.R., 1954, Collins
RSPB Handbook of British Birds Holden, P., Cleeves, T., 2002, A & C Black ISBN 0 7136 5713 8
Birds of Britain and Europe Sterry, P., et al., 2001, AA Publishing ISBN 0 7495 3068 5
The Popular Handbook of British Birds Hollom, P.A.D., 1973, H.F. & G. Witherby Ltd ISBN 0 85493 002 7

Files:

JPG files for King Eider (Somateria spectabilis) - 10 files

More Information

BirdLife International

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BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

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