Common Eider facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Common Eider |
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| Adult drake | |
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| Scientific classification | |
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S. mollissima
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| Somateria mollissima (Linnaeus, 1758)
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(European Eider)
(Faeroe Eider)
(North Pacific Eider)
(North Atlantic Eider)
(Hudson Bay Eider)
(American Eider) |
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| Green: breeding Blue: winter/feeding |
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The Common Eider (Somateria mollissima) is a large sea-duck. They live on the northern coasts of Europe, North America and eastern Siberia. It breeds in Arctic and some northern temperate regions. They winter farther south in temperate zones. There it can form large flocks on coastal waters. It can fly at speeds up to 113 km/h (70 mph).
Description
The Common Eider is both the largest of the four eider species and the largest duck found in Europe and in North America. It measures 50 to 71 cm (20 to 28 in) in length, weighs 0.81 to 3.04 kg (1.8 to 6.7 lb) and spans 80–110 cm (31–43 in) across the wings. It has a bulky shape and large, wedge-shaped bill. The male is unmistakable, with its black and white plumage and green nape. The female is a brown bird. It can be told apart from all ducks, except other eider species, because of size and head shape. This duck's call is a pleasant "ah-ooo". The species is often readily approachable.
This species dives for crustaceans and molluscs, with mussels being a favoured food. The eider will eat mussels by swallowing them whole; the shells are then crushed in their gizzard and excreted. When eating a crab, the Eider will remove all of its claws and legs, and then eat the body in a similar fashion.
Social behaviour
Eiders are colonial breeders. They nest on coastal islands in colonies ranging in size of less than 100 to upwards of 10,000-15,000 individuals. Female eiders often return to breed on the same island where they were hatched. This can lead to a high degree of relatedness between individuals nesting on the same island.
Images for kids
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A common eider skull
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Egg, Collection Museum Wiesbaden
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Common eider composite
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Adult drake
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Adult male left, female right
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Adult male in eclipse plumage
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Male juvenile in first winter plumage, similar but different from eclipse plumage
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Female
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Female
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Male in flight
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Eider duck skin coat
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Traditional man-made eider nesting boxes
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Eider nest on the tundra in the Canadian Arctic
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stretching
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Common eider (female) on the dune, Heligoland
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Common eider (male) on the dune, Heligoland
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Common eider with ducklings swimming
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See also
In Spanish: Somateria mollissima para niños
