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Common Eider (Somateria mollissima) Alternate name(s): "Eider", "St. Cuthbert's Duck", "Cuddy's Duck" German name(s): "Eiderente" Size: 50-70 cm; wing span 0.95-1.05 m Body mass: 0.8-3.0 kg Wing loading [g/cm2]: 1.5-2.8

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Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Common Eiders are large and heavy ducks. Their plumage is known for its superbly insulating down. The plumage is dimorphic, i.e. males and females are different. In addition, males have different breeding and non-breeding plumages. Breeding males are mostly black-and-white, with a black cap, belly, sides and stern, while the rest is white, except for the sides of the nape, which are pale-green, and the chest which can be creamy. Males in eclipse take on a ragged-looking mottled grey to brownish-grey appearance, with only some white remaining on the breast and wings. Females are barred brownish-grey on head, neck and front, with scalloped brownish-grey wing coverts. The irises of both sexes are dark. The heavy bill is wedge-shaped, greyish to greyish-green, in adults with a pale tip; legs and feet are grey. Juveniles are superficially similar to females, but are a bit darker and have a different pattern of scalloping. They also have off-white supercilia that are not found in females.

Taxonomy, classification See Common Eider at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Common Eider is available HERE . There are six races of Common Eider ducks, which are a partly migratory, partly sedentary species. Their overall range extends from far north-western Russia, via the Scandinavian coastline, around the North Sea, along the coastlines of all northern Atlantic islands (including Spitsbergen, Iceland and Greenland) to the coastlines of the northern half of the North American continent and part of the North-west Canadian polar islands. The western edge of their range lies in the Aleutian island chain and far-eastern Siberia, including the Sakhalin peninsula. The European race of Common Eiders is nominate race "mollissima". They are sedentary along the coastlines of the northern British Isles, some locations along the German North Sea coastline and the southern Baltic Sea, and all along the western side of Scandinavia, from the southern tip in Sweden to beyond the North Cape in Norway. Around the Baltic Sea (except the South coast), along the Kola peninsula and coastal far north-western Russia they are summer breeding migrants. The winter quarters of the migratory population, apart from a few isolated sites on the Mediterranean coastline, are located along the southern Baltic Sea coastline, around Denmark and via the German and the Benelux coastlines to Normandy. There is also a wintering population along the coast of southern to central England. The Faroe Islands have their own sedentary race, "faroeensis". Common Eiders are found only in coastal habitats. They breed near saline or brackish water.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "mollissima" M. A. Pears reports spotting Common Eiders, nominate race "mollissima", on the Farne Islands, off the North-east coast of England, in April 2014. M. Eaton found Common Eiders, nominate race "mollissima", at Skjervoy, near Tromso, Norway, in June 2018. M. Thomas reports spotting Common Eiders, nominate race "mollissima", at Skagen, Jütland, Denmark, in September 2019. C. Pears found Common Eiders, nominate race "mollissima", in Bergen, Norway, in October 2024.

Photos

Race "mollissima"

ADULT

MALE

BREEDING

Lateral view of a male Common Eider in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Skjervoy, near Tromso, Norway, June 2018]

Lateral view of a male Common Eider in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Skjervoy, near Tromso, Norway, June 2018]

NON-BREEDING

Resting Common Eider, with two males in non-breeding plumage on the left (photo courtesy of M. Thomas)
[Skagen, Jütland, Denmark, September 2019]

Resting Common Eider; males in non-breeding plumage have greyish patches (photo courtesy of M. Thomas)
[Skagen, Jütland, Denmark, September 2019]

FEMALE

Three different plumages of Common Eider ducks - lateral view of a female (left back; note the double white wing bar), with a male in non-breeding plumage at back right and 4 males in breeding plumage in front (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Bergen, Norway, October 2024]

Small group of Common Eider ducks, mostly in breeding plumage, with two females at the centre
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Skjervoy, near Tromso, Norway, June 2018]

Resting Common Eider; females seen from behind show two characteristic white wing bars (photo courtesy of M. Thomas)
[Skagen, Jütland, Denmark, September 2019]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Near-frontal view of a juvenile Common Eider duck (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Skjervoy, near Tromso, Norway, June 2018]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Mar - Jun(?)

Eggs: 3 - 5

Incubation period: 24 - 26 days

Fledging age: 30 - 50 days

Common Eiders are colonial breeders that return to the island where they themselves hatched. They have a single brood per season and sometimes up to 8 eggs are laid. Females will also nest communally and share incubation duties. They also form creches with their ducklings to share tending to their offspring. Common Eider ducklings are precocial, i.e. they leave the nest as soon as they are dry after hatching.

Nest

Type: Scrape

Material: Plant material, down lining

Height above ground: N/A

Female Common Eider on its nest; they appear to make use of the presence of humans by nesting near walking tracks in an attempt to deter nest robbers (photo courtesy of M. A. Pears)
[Farne Islands, off the North-east coast of England, April 2014]

Eggs

Size: 77 x 51 mm

Colour: Olive to greenish

Shape: Ellipsoidal

Behaviour

Covey of Common Eider ducks arriving for hunting as a collective (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Skjervoy, near Tromso, Norway, June 2018]

Common Eider ducks forming a pack for collective hunting (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Skjervoy, near Tromso, Norway, June 2018]

Small mob of Common Eider ducks (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Bergen, Norway, October 2024]

Dorsal view of a departing covey of Common Eider ducks (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Skjervoy, near Tromso, Norway, June 2018]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Communal

Mobility: Partially migratory

Elementary unit: Pair/flock

In the southern parts of their range, Common Eiders are winter migrants. In the north-western part of their range they are resident and around the Baltic Sea they are breeding migrants.

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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