Psilos Wildfowl Photography |
Eider duck (Somateria mollissima) |
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Native to coastal british water and
one of the most numerous ducks in the world, this is a very stocky seaduck.
Found mainly around Scotland and NE England it lives colonially in small
flocks. This is a duck with alot of history. It is regarded as the first
bird in the world to have been given conservation protection, thanks
to St Cuthbert, an early Northumbrian saint, who offered eiders sanctuary
on the Farne Islands in the seventh century. |
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The eider is the fastest bird in horizontal
flight, capable of reaching speeds of up to 60 mph. Their wings are
short but they are powered by very strong muscles. These also allow
the eider duck to dive and swim to a depth of ten metres, in search
of its favourite food - mussels, crabs and other small marine creatures
found on rocky areas of the seabed. |
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The duck in the photo above is a an adult male
who is regaining his breeding plumage after going through the summer
moult. Young male eiders will not obtain their full adult plumage until
their second year. Courtship begins in November/December when the males
plumage is at its best. During this time eiders call their haunting
ooohooo call. This is done by throwing the head back at the same time
(photo below) |
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From a distance the female looks a very drab
brown but if you look closer you will see a very intricate pattern on
her plumage. This provides an excellent camaflague for her during nesting
time. Nest building and incubation is left totally to the female, with
ducklings taking to the water within 48 hours of hatching. Ducklings,
which have to learn to feed themselves are at their most vulnerable
during this time and so are gathered together to form large creches
watched over by other females. |
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