Bird Album
King Eider
Somateria spectabilis (Linnaeus, 1758)
1.6 kgWeight
The king eider (pronounced ) (Somateria spectabilis) is a large sea duck that breeds along Northern Hemisphere Arctic coasts of northeast Europe, North America and Asia.
Busiest months: May–June · Most records: United States, Canada, Iceland
Where and when it's recorded
King Eider has been recorded at 202 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 23 countries and regions.
Records by month Northern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- St. Paul IslandUnited States4,643 records
- GambellUnited States3,729 records
- Barnegat Lighthouse SPUnited States1,107 records
More places
- Tommy Thompson ParkCanada813 records
- Toronto – Colonel Samuel Smith ParkCanada591 records
- Húsavík – hafnarsvæðiIceland580 records
- Ocean City InletUnited States436 records
- Quai, Pointe-au-PèreCanada399 records
- Halibut Point SPUnited States376 records
- Parker River NWRUnited States356 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The king eider (pronounced ) (Somateria spectabilis) is a large sea duck that breeds along Northern Hemisphere Arctic coasts of northeast Europe, North America and Asia. The birds spend most of the year in coastal marine ecosystems at high latitudes, and migrate to Arctic tundra to breed in June and July. They lay four to seven eggs in a scrape on the ground lined with grass and down.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the King Eider?
The King Eider weighs around 1.6 kg.
Where does the King Eider live?
Its breeding range: North America, Palearctic: coastal northern, central Greenland, Svalbard (north of Norway), Russia from east of the White Sea to Chukotka (northeastern Russia); Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska, northern slope of Canada and associated Arctic islands. It is most often recorded in United States, Canada and Iceland.
When is the best time to see the King Eider?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in May and June (Northern Hemisphere).
Is the King Eider endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the King Eider as Least Concern.
What does the King Eider eat?
Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.
What family is the King Eider in?
It belongs to the family Ducks, Geese, Swans (Anatidae), order Anseriformes.
At a glance
- Weight
- 1.6 kg
- Habitat
- Ocean
- Diet
- Fish, shrimp & shellfish
- Lifestyle
- On the water surface
- Migration
- Migratory
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 266 mm
- Tail
- 76 mm
- Bill
- 34 mm
- Tarsus
- 43 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
North America, Palearctic: coastal northern, central Greenland, Svalbard (north of Norway), Russia from east of the White Sea to Chukotka (northeastern Russia); Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska, northern slope of Canada and associated Arctic islands
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Anseriformes
- Family
- Ducks, Geese, Swans Anatidae
- Genus
- Somateria
Other birds in the genus Somateria
Spectacled EiderSomateria fischeri
Common EiderSomateria mollissima
White-faced Whistling DuckDendrocygna viduata
Black-bellied Whistling DuckDendrocygna autumnalis
Spotted Whistling DuckDendrocygna guttata
West Indian Whistling DuckDendrocygna arborea
Fulvous Whistling DuckDendrocygna bicolor
Plumed Whistling DuckDendrocygna eytoni
Wandering Whistling DuckDendrocygna arcuata
Lesser Whistling DuckDendrocygna javanica
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Judd Patterson. ↗
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