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Eider Somateria mollissima   [Linnaeus, 1758]
Other Names Trends & Distribution Breeding & Survival Biometrics Books & Links

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Order: Anseriformes Family: Anatidae
BTO Codes: E., EIDER EURING No: 2060
Number in Britain: 31 thousand pairs (Summer)
Conservation Status:
UK: AMBER
European: Not a species of concern
Global: Least Concern ( Details )
Links to: Images   Videos   Sound  
Status in UK: (A)  Resident Breeder, Winter Visitor
Subspecies: mollissima (RW) recorded in Britain (of 6 subsp. in the world)
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Length: 60 cm Wingspan: 94 cm Weight: M/F: 2.2 kg    
Scientific name from: Gr.: soma=body + erion=wool and L.: mollissima=very soft (from mollis=soft)
World Distribution: BREEDS: n Europe & Siberia & n North America, WINTERS: south to s Europe & s US
Habitat: Tundra ponds, lakes, seacoasts
Diet: Molluscs or slow moving crustaceans on sea-bed, by diving or up-ending
TitBit: Collection of down (small body feathers used to line the nest), recorded as far back as the 14th Century, almost lead to the Eider's extinction in the 19th Century.  

Population and Distribution

Population Trend: No population trend available
Distribution: Atlas Maps    (Local Atlases)   
British Population Size:
    Summer: 31 thousand pairs in 1988-91
    Winter: 61 thousand individuals in 2004-09
    First Record: 7th Century [Fossil evidence from Ipswichian (last) interglacial, c. 125,000 yr ago]
    Conservation Status: AMBER because Recent Non-breeding Population Decline (1981-2007),
   Previous Assessments: 2002-2007 AMBER     1996-2001 AMBER  
   Races of Concern: mollissima RED (International Concern)
Habitat Occupancy (in the Breeding Season):
    No habitat data from BBS
European Population Size:
    Summer: 820 thousand to 1.2 million pairs
Population Assesment from Birds in Europe
Distribution in Europe
Listed on the Appendices/Schedules of: WBD(II*,III*), Bern(III), Bonn(II), AEWA
Survey Results: BirdTrack
Wetland Bird Survey Alerts

Breeding and Survival
Egg Size: 77 x 52 mm Egg Weight: 110.0 g (of which 8 % is shell)
Number of Nest Records: 588
Clutch Size: 4 - 6 eggs
Incubation: 25- 28 days   by the: Female
Fledging: 65 - 75days as: Precocial, downy
First Clutches Laid: Unavailable
Number of Broods: 1
Number Ringed: 141 (Annual Totals)
Adult Survival: 0.820 ± 0.150       
Juvenile Survival: 0.330 (in First-Year)  
Age at First Breeding: 3 years Typical Lifespan: 8 years
Maximum Recorded Age: 35 years 6 months 26 days (set in 1994)
Summary of Ringing Recoveries       

Biometrics
Ring Size: H*
Wing Length Adult: 290.2 ± 14.9 Range 267 - 312 mm, N =62
Juvenile: Insufficient Data
Male: 301.4 ± 9.1 287 - 313 mm, N =22
Female: 284.0 ± 13.8 255.5 - 298.5 mm, N =40
Weight Adult: 2.13 ± 0.20 Range 1.83 - 2.35 kg , N =22
Juvenile: Insufficient Data
Male: Insufficient Data
Female: Insufficient Data
Source:
British Trust for Ornithology (2005) Ringing Scheme data

Other Names
Common Eider
Gaelic: Colc Welsh: Hwyaden Fwythblu
Danish: Ederfugl Dutch: Eider
Finnish: Haahka French: Eider à duvet
German: Eiderente Hungarian: Pehelyréce
Icelandic: Æður Irish: Éadar
Italian: Edredone Norwegian: Ærfugl
Polish: Edredon zwyczajny Portuguese: Eider-edredão
Spanish: Eider Swedish: Ejder
Local Names:Dunter
Collective Noun:Raft

For More Information...
Books and Monographs:
   Driver, P. 1974 In search of the eider Saturn Press, London [598.482 DRI]
   Cabot, D. 2009 Wildfowl Collins, London
See Also:
Find scientific papers on Google Scholar or Scirus by clicking the icon
Wikipedia entry
BirdLife species page
Recent sightings and information from BirdGuides
All About Birds (Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
Gough, G.A. et al. (1998) Patuxent Bird Identification Infocenter
State of the Nations Birds by Chris Mead