King Eider is a large-sized migratory sea duck native to the coastal waters of the Arctic belt spanning over North America, Europe and Asia. They belong to the Anatidae family and are of the Somateria genus. The male and females are distinguished with their separate range of colors. They stay in large flocks during winters.
Table of Contents
Scientific Classification
Animalia
Chordata
Aves
Anseriformes
Anatidae
Somateria
Somateria spectabilis
Table Of Content
Table of Contents
Scientific Classification
Animalia
Chordata
Aves
Anseriformes
Anatidae
Somateria
Somateria spectabilis
Table of Contents
Description
These are colorful birds that have some very distinct features.
Size: Full grown adults are 46-64 cm tall. Males grow around 23 inches tall and the female counterparts tend to be 21 inches in length.
Color: Male King Eiders have a white chest and neck region with the upper part of their breasts having a yellowish spread. Body color is black in males with forewings bearing large white patches. The head is multi-colored and back of the neck is pearl blue in males. Adult females tend to have a brown colored body.
Weight: There is a great variation of weight in this species depending on gender and time of year. Average weight is 3.7 pounds in males and 3.5 pounds in females.
Wingspan: These birds have a wingspan of 37 inches.
Beak: The males have a red colored beak with a big orange colored knob. The female species have dark gray beaks.
Eyes: These creatures have an eye color ranging from dark brown to black.
Legs: The feet region is somewhat dull yellow and orangish in males and a shade of gray in females.
Picture 1 – King Eider
Behavior
Some interesting information about the behavior patterns of these beautiful birds:
They dive into sea waters in search of food.
Mothers defend the nests alone. Even when there is intrusion a female bird tends to sit low on the nest flattening its head to the ground.
They often go as deep as 50 meters in the water to find food.
During the breeding season they give out soft coos.
They are monogamous breeders.
They become very social during breeding seasons.
They migrate to great extent.
Birds that spend their winters in foreign lands are usually found to become a part of huge flocks that can exceed 100,000 birds.
Diet
These birds greatly feed on mollusks, crustaceans and polychaete worms. They also love eating mussels. Wigeon grass, algae and eelgrass also form a large part of their diet.
Distribution
These birds are spread across Alaska, Mid-Atlantic, California, New England, Western and Eastern Canada.
Habitat
These birds spend maximum time of the year hovering around coastal marine spots preferring to stay near sea ice and bays. They form their nest near coastal tundra pools in the Canadian Arctic regions. During winter, they tend to move near the coastal waters of North Atlantic shoreline.
Picture 2 – King Eider Photo
Predators
These birds are greatly threatened by jaegers, arctic foxes, and glaucous gulls which are its main set of predators. Human hunters also pose a significant threat to these birds.
Adaptation
These creatures greatly adapt themselves to different conditions(with variations in food, temperature and predators) in various habitats. They shift and switch their common grounds (during breeding and wintering) often, making them one of the most adaptable creatures on earth.
Migration
These birds are migratory in nature. They travel to arctic regions of Europe for breeding during summer. As the winter sets in they migrate to subarctic and arctic marine lands such as eastern Canada, western coast of Greenland, north of Norway and in the Bering Sea. While breeding these birds also travel to the north coast of Alaska.
Flight
These birds migrate by performing swift flights and during this time they are found to travel in small groups.
Picture 3 – Flying King Eider
Sound
Male birds are found to make soft and low sounds that turn out to be somewhat “croo croo croooo” resembling that of a dove. Female counterparts call out in several types of voices but most commonly in grunts and croaks.
Mating Season
They tend to reach their breeding grounds during early days of June. Due to their circumpolar distribution they breed in the Arctic coastline spreading from Alaska to Greenland and also in greater parts of northern Hudson Bay coastline.
Reproduction
The females do all things related to nesting, parental care and protection of the nests from intruders. Usually the nesting grounds are formed in vegetations beside ponds and lakes or on coastal islands. A female lays around 4-5 eggs, taking 22 to 24 days for incubation.
Life Cycle
The young birds come out of the eggs to leave their nest after 16 hours. They stay with the mothers till they learn to fly which takes another 30-50 days’ time.
Life Span
These birds live for 12 to 14 years. Some sub-species have been found to live for more than 18 years.
Conservation Status
IUCN has included this species in its “Least Concern” category.
Interesting Facts
Some interesting facts to know about King Eiders:
During incubation, a female King Eider does not move from its incubating position. They keep on sitting tightly on the eggs and can be touched or even picked up from the nests in their sitting position.
They forage into deep bottoms of water bodies.
Male birds call out a purring sound.
They turn very social during winter and while they are migrating.
During incubation, which spans for 22 to 24 days mothers often do not feed themselves.
They form nest in low marshy lands.
Birds that spend their winters in migrated territories are found in large flocks which often exceed 100,000 birds.
