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Steller's Eider

Polysticta stelleriOrder: ANSERIFORMES Family: Geese and Ducks (Anatidae)
Codes: Common Name: STEI Scientific Name: POLSTE ITIS Taxonomic No.: 175153
Vulnerable
 
Steller's Eider: The male Steller’s Eider has a black back, white upper breast and sides and brown underparts. The white head has a dark tuft on the back, black eye patch, and a black chin. Wings are white with black primaries and a white-bordered blue speculum. Bill, legs, and feet are blue-gray.
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Overview

Steller's Eider: Small eider with black back and collar, white sides, buff-brown underparts with small but distinct black spot on side. White head has a dark tuft, black eye patch and chin. Wings are white with black primaries and a white-bordered blue speculum. Blue-gray bill, legs and feet.

Range and Habitat

Steller's Eider: Breeds on northern and western coasts of Alaska. Spends winters on southern coast of Alaska and Aleutians. Frequents arctic coastal areas; nests on tundra near small ponds.

Topo Map: Duck-like Body


Listen to Call

Voice Text

Generally silent

Interesting Facts

 The Steller's Eider was first described in 1769 by Peter Simon Pallas, a German zoologist and botanist who worked in Russia. It is named after the German naturalist Georg Steller.

 This is the smallest eider. It is found primarily close to shore in winter, unlike other eider species.

 It spends the winter in large flocks, which dive synchronously and may create a spray as they dive and then surface in unison.

 A group of ducks has many collective nouns, including a "brace", "flush", "paddling", "raft", and "team" of ducks.


Bird Term Glossary



Author

Gary Owen Dick

Artist

Yury Lisyak

Splitbar
Range Map for Stellar's Eider

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Family Diving Ducks (Anatidae)_blue
Species Polysticta stelleri
Length17 - 19 Inches
Wingspan29 Inches

Steller's Eider

Steller's Eider: Small eider with black back and collar, white sides, buff-brown underparts with small but distinct black spot on side. White head has a dark tuft, black eye patch and chin. Wings are white with black primaries and a white-bordered blue speculum. Blue-gray bill, legs and feet.

● Song: Generally silent

● Foraging & Feeding: Steller's Eider: Feeds on mussels in marine waters during the winter and insects in freshwater ponds during the breeding season; forages by diving from the surface.

● Breeding & nesting: Steller's Eider: Five to ten olive buff eggs are laid in a deep depression on tundra lined with plant material and down. Nest is built near water by the female. Incubation is carried out by the female, time is undetermined.

● Similar species: Steller's Eider: Male Smew has all-white underparts.

Flight Pattern

Swift direct flight with rapid wing beats.
Steller's-Eider Male Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Steller's Eider: Breeds on northern and western coasts of Alaska. Spends winters on southern coast of Alaska and Aleutians. Frequents arctic coastal areas; nests on tundra near small ponds.
BreedingMonogamous
PopulationUncommon to common
MigrationMigratory
Weight27.2 Ounces
Duck-like BodyX
UnderpartsX
Belly, undertail coverts, chest, flanks, and foreneck.
ChinX
The area of the face just below the bill.
CollarX
Similar to the upper part of the human neck, located at the back of the crown.
PrimariesX
The primaries are the flight feathers specialized for flight. They are attached to the "hand" equivalent part of the wing.
SpeculumX
The brightly colored area on the wing (secondaries of the wing) on several duck species.
4 and 6 letter alpha codesX

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

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ITIS CodesX

The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) was established in the mid-1990�s as a cooperative project among several federal agencies to improve and expand upon taxonomic data (known as the NODC Taxonomic Code) maintained by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

To find the ITIS page for a bird species go to the ITIS web site advanced search and report page at http://www.itis.gov/advanced_search.html. You can enter the TSN or the common name of the bird. It will return the ITIS page for that bird. Another way to obtain the ITIS page is to use the Google search engine. Enter the string ITIS followed by the taxonomic ID, for example "ITIS 178041" will return the page for the Allen's Hummingbird.

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Parts of a Standing birdX
Head Feathers and MarkingsX
Parts of a Flying birdX