Common Eider

Common Eider Quick Overview

A male and female common eider peacefully walk in Magdalenefjorden, with walruses visible in the background.

Questions Guests Ask About the Common Eider

What Do They Look Like?

The common eider drake (male) in summer has a black stomach, tail, and wing tips, a white back, cream-coloured breast, and a large bright green nape, while the head is white with a black cap and a yellowish-green, wedge-shaped beak. In contrast, the female is mainly brown with numerous small black spots, a narrow white wing band, and a light tip to the beak.

How Big Is a Common Eider?

Considered one of the largest ducks in the Northern Hemisphere, the male can weigh up to 3 kg (6.6 lbs) and reach a length of 71 cm (2.3 ft). Females are smaller, weighing approximately 2 kg (4.6 lbs) and measuring up to 63 cm (2.1 ft) long.

Where Does the Common Eider Duck Live?

They are  widespread across the Arctic, where it consistently breeds near the coast and frequently on small islands. With Polar Latitudes Expeditions, you can see one flying at many of the destinations our ships go: whether in Arctic Canada or Greenland, the world’s largest island, we offer numerous expeditions where you can spot them!

What Are the Main Differences Between Males and Females?

The difference between the genders is immediately noticeable in the way their plumage differs from each other. Females are brown and speckled, which is ideal for hiding while incubating the eggs. As for the male common eider, it is colourful during the breeding season, with black, white, green, and cream tones.

What Do They Eat?

As an expert diving duck that usually feeds from the seabed, the common eider’s diet consists mainly of animals such as crustaceans, snails, and especially mussels.

What’s the Difference Between a King Eider and a Common Eider?

These are two different species of sea ducks, and the most apparent difference is the king eider’s unique colourful head with an orange shield on the bill, unlike the common eider, which has a longer, wedge-shaped bill. As for similarities between the two, they have salt-excreting glands over the eyes, from which they can expel excess salt absorbed from seawater, allowing them to digest it. As a consequence, these two species are among the most well-adapted to live in a marine environment.

Are They Able To Fly?

Yes, this species is capable of flying. Their flight is swift but characterised by relatively heavy and slow wing strokes for a duck.

Did you know that female common eiders spend more than 99% of their time on the nest caring for their chicks?

How Many of These 10 Common Eider Facts Did You Already Know?

1. They can be found in areas from the Arctic to the North Atlantic coasts.
2. During summer, they moult all their flight feathers simultaneously and temporarily lose their ability to fly.
3. The male drakes are much less colourful and better camouflaged compared to the females.
4. They are listed as ‘Near Threatened’ by the IUCN.
5. Common eider threats include gulls (such as glaucous gull and great black-backed gulls), arctic foxes, and polar bears.
6. Female common eiders form colonies with as many as 100 chicks following her!
7. If you look closely, the male common eider’s feather has an unexpected colour: green!
8. These birds are incredible divers when searching for food.
9. When incubating eggs, which usually last 25 days, females do not eat during this period.
10. They possess salt glands enabling them to drink saltwater.