Spectacled Eiders
Duck Information ... Duck Species ... Photo Gallery
Wild Bird Feeders ... Wild Bird Food / Seed ... Binoculars ... Humming Bird Feeders / Feed ... Bird Houses / Bird Nests ... Woodworking Instructions to Build Bird Houses ... Recommended Books
The Spectacled Eider (Somateria fischeri) is a large sea duck, which breeds on the coasts of Alaska and northeastern Siberia.
The lined nest is built on tundra close to the sea, and 5-9 eggs are laid. This species dives for crustaceans and molluscs. It winters in often enormous flocks at sea in the Arctic along the edge of the pack ice.
The Spectacled Eider is slightly smaller than the Common Eider at 52-57cm. The male is unmistakable with its black body, white back, and yellow-green head with the large circular white eye patches which give the species its name. The drake's call is a weak crooning, and the female's a harsh croak.
The female is a rich brown bird, but can still be readily distinguished from all ducks except other eider species on size and structure. The paler googles are visible with a reasonable view, and clinch identification. Immature birds and eclipse adult drakes are similar to the female.
The binomial commemorates the German scientist Johann Fischer von Waldheim.
(Source: Wikipedia.org)
Related Web Resources: Spectacled Eider (USGS)
If you would like to add to or correct any of the above information, or would like to share with web visitors your own experiences, please e-mail the webmaster.
Photo contributions are welcome!
