Eider

Somateria mollissima

Family:

Ducks, geese and swans

Length:

51cm to 71cm

Wingspan:

80cm to 108cm

Weight:

1.2kg to 2.8kg

About the Eider

The Eider is the fasted flying duck in the UK, this may come as a surprise as it's also the heaviest duck too.

The males and females look considerably different with the male species being black and white all over, whilst the females are brown and black.

Eiders are rarely found away from the coast as they depend on a diet of shellfish, especially mussels. They are highly sociable birds and mainly stay close to the shore, simply riding the waves.

What do Eiders eat?

Their diets mainly consist of shellfish, predominately mussels.

Other birds in the Ducks, geese and swans family

Wigeon

Whooper Swan

This large bird arrives on our shores from Iceland to overwinter in late September, returning northwards to breed from mid March onwards.

White-Fronted Goose

Velvet Scoter

Tundra Bean Goose

Tufted Duck

A type of diving duck, distinguished by its mohican-like feathers at back of head.

Teal

Taiga Bean Goose

Snow Goose

Smew

Shoveler

Shelduck

Scaup

Ruddy Duck

Red-Crested Pochard

Red-Breasted Merganser

Pochard

During the winter the population of this rare resident breeding duck increases by 55 times to that of the summer, with the influx of many thousands of others overwintering, having arrived from Russia and Eastern Europe.

Pintail

Pink-Footed Goose

Mute Swan

Mandarin Duck

A native of Japan and China, the mandarin duck was first introduced into the UK in the 18th century and started populations in the wild in the 1930’s following escapes from captivity. The UK population is estimated to be in the region of 7,000 birds.

Mallard

Long-Tailed Duck

Greylag Goose

Merganser

Widespread throughout the northern hemisphere, the common merganser is the largest of the saw billed fish eating ducks. There are three sub-species with the Eurasian variant frequently known as the Goosander.

Goldeneye

Garganey

Gadwall

Egyptian Goose

Regarded as being sacred by early Egyptians, this native goose of the African continent was introduced into Europe and elsewhere as an ornamental wildfowl species in the late seventeenth and eighteenth century.

Common Scoter

The word scoter is often used to define northern sea ducks. There are six different species of scoter, all of which are monotypic and three of which are confined to North America. The Common Scoter like the Velvet Scoter can only be found in Europe and Asia whilst the Stejneger’s Scoter is a native of Asia alone.

Canada Goose

Brent Goose

Bewick's Swan

Winter visitors to the UK, formerly considered a full species, but now considered a sub-species of the Tundra Swan.

Barnacle Goose

A highly sociable and unmistakable member of the goose family, often seen and heard flying in long, noisy packs and lines.