Where does a king eider live?
arctic tundra
King Eiders nest in arctic tundra, both wet and dry, usually not far from water, whether interior lakes or the ocean coast. Common plants in such habitats include purple saxifrage, crowberry, bearberry, Labrador tea, dwarf birch, arctic willow, pendant grass, and various sedges.
Where can you find king eider ducks?
The king eider has a circumpolar distribution. In North America it breeds along the Arctic coast from Alaska to Greenland and along most of the northern Hudson Bay shoreline. King eiders generally nest in vegetation, often adjacent to small lakes and ponds or on small islets on the coast and lay an average of 4-5 eggs.
How do eider ducks make nests?
Common Eiders pluck down feathers from their breast to create a toasty warm nest. For more than 1,000 years people have used precious eiderdown to keep warm—gathering the down from empty nests.
How long does a king eider live?
about 15 to 20 years
King Eiders live about 15 to 20 years in the wild.
What does a king eider look like?
Adult males are pale on the head and neck and mostly black on the body, with a large orange plate above the red bill. The crown is tinged blue-gray and the face is greenish. The back, underwing, flank and upperwing are white. Adult females are rich rusty brown intricately patterned with black.
Why is it called the king eider?
The bird’s common name, king eider, is a direct translation of its Icelandic name. It is called “king” because of the orange, crown-like knob above the male’s bill; the male’s multicoloured plumage also suggests royal robes.
Are king eiders rare?
It is a rare winter visitor along the West Coast outside Alaska. However, nearly all sightings of King Eider outside its normal range are of females and subadult males, which are much plainer and readily confused with Common Eider (an excessively rare bird along the West Coast).
What does a king eider duck look like?
Adult females are rich rusty brown intricately patterned with black. The cheek and neck are paler brown and the bill is black. Immature males are dark brown with a white chest and orange bill. At sea, dives deeply to take prey from the sea floor or the underside of sea ice.
How do I collect my eider down?
Eider down is harvested respectfully by Icelandic farmers from colonies of common eiders nesting on their land. The farmers remove the down from the nest leaving enough to keep the eggs warm.
Where do eider ducks lay their eggs?
All over the island the Eiders nest, among the grass, in the heather and among the dried sea-weed thrown up on the beaches by winter gales. At one time the nests were regularly raided by people from the neighbouring islands, who took the eggs not only for their own consumption but for feeding their calves.
What does eider mean?
Definition of eider 1 : any of several large northern sea ducks (genera Somateria and Polystica) having fine soft down that is used by the female for lining the nest. — called also eider duck. 2 : eiderdown sense 1.
Is eider down cruel?
While commercially-available down often comes from controversial sources, Icelandic eiderdown is a sustainable, ethical alternative that causes no harm to its feathery owner when it’s gathered.
What is the habitat of the king eider?
Habitat of the King Eider. This duck species lives along coastlines and forages for food in the ocean. Though they live in arctic regions, they usually remain in areas without sea ice. They nest on land, and prefer areas close to the water. Their favorite nesting habitats are islands, marshes, and on the tundra.
How far do king eiders dive?
Extreme Foraging – When they finally do go searching for food, King Eiders are expert divers. Instead of foraging for prey in the shallows, these ducks dive to the depths in search of food. A hungry duck sometimes dives as far as 80 ft. beneath the surface in search of food!
What is a king eider duck called?
King eider. The king eider (pronounced /ˈaɪ.dər/) (Somateria spectabilis) is a large sea duck that breeds along Northern Hemisphere Arctic coasts of northeast Europe, North America and Asia.
What is The wingspan of a king eider?
The king eider is a large sea duck, measuring 50–70 cm (20–28 in) in length with a wingspan of 86–102 cm (34–40 in). Males are, on average, heavier than females, with a mean weight of 1.668 kg (3.68 lb) for males and 1.567 kg (3.45 lb) for females.