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King Eider

Somateria spectabilisOrder: ANSERIFORMES Family: Geese and Ducks (Anatidae)
Codes: Common Name: KIEI Scientific Name: SOMSPE ITIS Taxonomic No.: 175160
Least Concern
 
King Eider: The male King Eider has a black body with a creamy white breast and back. The crown and nape are pale blue, cheeks are green. The bill is orange-red and sweeps upward into a large, yellow-orange basal knob outlined in black. Wings are black with large white patches visible in flight.
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Overview

King Eider: Large diving duck with black body and white breast, back. The crown and nape are pale blue; distinct bill is orange-red, sweeping upward into a large, orange basal knob outlined in black. Wings are black with large white patches visible in flight. Tail has white patches at the base.

Range and Habitat

King Eider: Breeds in the Canadian Arctic, Greenland, Alaska, and Siberia. On the Atlantic coast, spends winters south to Massachusetts but rarely beyond. Preferred habitats are rocky coasts and open ocean; nests on inland freshwater lakes and ponds.

Topo Map: Duck-like Body


Listen to Call

Voice Text

"urrr-urrr-URR"

Interesting Facts

 The King Eider was first described in 1758 by Carolus Linnaeus, Swedish botanist, physician and zoologist.

 When an intruder is present, the female sits low on the nest with her head flattened on the ground. She sits tightly on the eggs and sometimes can be touched or picked up off of the nest.

 They often dive far for food and have been caught in nets as deep as 150 feet below the surface.

 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 King Eider

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Family Diving Ducks (Anatidae)_blue
Species Somateria spectabilis
Length18 - 25 Inches
Wingspan37.5 Inches

King Eider

King Eider: Large diving duck with black body and white breast, back. The crown and nape are pale blue; distinct bill is orange-red, sweeping upward into a large, orange basal knob outlined in black. Wings are black with large white patches visible in flight. Tail has white patches at the base.

● Song: "urrr-urrr-URR"

● Foraging & Feeding: King Eider: Feeds on mollusks, crustaceans, aquatic insects, eelgrass, widgeon grass, and algae; forages by diving deep under water from the surface.

● Breeding & nesting: King Eider: Three to seven olive, pale olive, or buff eggs are laid in a flattened hollow of grass lined with down, usually near the water. Incubation ranges from 22 to 24 days and is carried out by the female.

● Similar species: King Eider: Common Eider has black cap, white back, and lacks orange bill and shield. Spectacled Eider has black breast and spectacles and white back.

Flight Pattern

Swift direct flight with rapid wing beats., Flies in straight line formation
King-Eider Male Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: King Eider: Breeds in the Canadian Arctic, Greenland, Alaska, and Siberia. On the Atlantic coast, spends winters south to Massachusetts but rarely beyond. Preferred habitats are rocky coasts and open ocean; nests on inland freshwater lakes and ponds.
BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester
PopulationCommon to abundant
MigrationMigratory
Weight59.2 Ounces
Duck-like BodyX
BreastX
The upper front part of a bird.
CrownX
The crown is the top part of the birds head.
NapeX
Also called the hindneck or collar, it is the back of the neck where the head joins the body.
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