Adventures Outdoors'
EIDER
(Common Eider)
(Somateria mollissima)
ABOUT THEM
They are the largest Duck in the Northern Hemisphere very thick necked and stocky, flying close to the water in straight lines. They dive to feed on mollusks and crustaceans. They are circumpolar in their range breeding along the coast of Alaska, Hudson Bay, eastern Canada, and northern Maine. They nest on islands or along the coast laying only an average of 3-5 eggs. The Eiders migrate over large bodies of water and through remote areas from Greenland south along the coast to Virginia. In the west they winter in southern Alaska. In North America their are four races numbering almost 2 million.
DESCRIPTION
The Drake has a white head, neck, chest, and back, the breast, belly, sides, and tail are black, the crown and forehead are black, cheeks are pale green, and a white spot on the black flank just forward of the tail. The head slopes, the bill is olive-gray turning yellow near the face, legs and feet are grayish-green.
The Hen is a russet-brown to gray, and is heavily barred with dark brown lines on their backs, chest, breasts, and sides, the head slopping, and bill olive-gray to olive-yellow with gray feet.
SIZE
Average Length = 23.5"
Average Weight = 5lbs