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Common Eider

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Birds

                  iCommon Eider
   Adult drake
   Adult drake

                             Conservation status

   Least Concern (LC)
            Scientific classification

   Kingdom: Animalia
   Phylum:  Chordata
   Class:   Aves
   Order:   Anseriformes
   Family:  Anatidae
   Genus:   Somateria
   Species: S. mollissima

                                Binomial name

   Somateria mollissima
   (Linnaeus, 1758)
   Green: breedingBlue: winter/feeding
   Green: breeding
   Blue: winter/feeding

                                 Subspecies

     * S. m. mollissima

   ( European Eider)
     * S. m. faeroeensis

   ( Faeroe Eider)
     * S. m. v-nigra

   ( North Pacific Eider)
     * S. m. borealis

   ( North Atlantic Eider)
     * S. m. sedentaria

   ( Hudson Bay Eider)
     * S. m. dresseri

   ( Labrador Eider)

   The Common Eider (Somateria mollissima) is a large (35-45 cm body
   length) sea-duck, which is distributed over the northern coasts of
   Europe, North America and eastern Siberia. It breeds in Arctic and some
   northern temperate regions, but winters somewhat farther south in
   temperate zones, when it can form large flocks on coastal waters.

   The eider's nest is built close to the sea and is lined with the
   celebrated eiderdown, plucked from the female's breast. This soft and
   warm lining has long been harvested for filling pillows and quilts, but
   in more recent years has been largely replaced by down from domestic
   farm-geese and synthetic alternatives. Nonetheless, eiderdown
   harvesting continues and is sustainable, as it can be done after the
   ducklings leave the nest with no harm to the birds.
   Common Eider in Bristol Zoo, England
   Enlarge
   Common Eider in Bristol Zoo, England

   The Common Eider is characterized by its bulky shape and large
   wedge-shaped bill. The male is unmistakable with its black and white
   plumage and green nape. The female is a brown bird, but can still be
   readily distinguished from all ducks, except other eider-species, on
   the basis of size and head shape. This duck's call is a pleasant
   "ah-ooo", described as being "like a bunch of gossipy old women,
   expressing surprise". The species is often readily approachable.

   Drakes of the European, eastern North American and Asia/western North
   American races can be distinguished by minor differences in plumage and
   bill colour.

   This species dives for crustaceans and molluscs, with mussels being a
   favored food.

   It is abundant, with populations of about 1.5-2 million birds in both
   North America and Europe, and also large but unknown numbers in eastern
   Siberia ( HBW).

   A particularly famous colony of eiders lives on the Farne Islands in
   Northumberland, Britain. These birds were the subject of one of the
   first ever bird protection laws, established by Saint Cuthbert in the
   year 676. About 1,000 pairs still nest there every year. Because St.
   Cuthbert is the patron saint of Northumberland, it was natural that the
   eider should be chosen as the county's emblem bird; the birds are still
   often called Cuddy's ducks in the area, "Cuddy" being the familiar form
   of "Cuthbert".

   The Common Eider is one of the species to which the Agreement on the
   Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds ( AEWA) applies.

Gallery

   Adult male left, female right

   Adult male in eclipse plumage

   Male first winter plumage. Note how similar this is to the adult
   eclipse plumage.

   Female

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Eider"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
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