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Distribution
Common Eider   Somateria mollissima
The most numerous duck species, found throughout the whole island group in the summer period. Some few overwinter. The population is probably more than 20,000 pairs.   

Features: 60-70 cm. A hardy and robust duck (1.6 to 2.8 kg). The difference in appearance regarding sex, age and plumage through the year leads to great variation. The young birds resemble females, but are more uniformly dark and lack the white wing speculum. It is not easy to separate young males from adult males in eclipse plumage (late summer plumage). Some of the male Common Eiders have plumage features as in the subspecies borealis. In these the adult males have uniformly yellow bills and have a sail (feather tips) on the back. The males of the nominate subspecies mollissima lack the sail and as a rule have a yellowish-green to blue-grey bill. Consequently, the Svalbard population is a mix between mollissima og borealis (intermediate).   

Breeding: Most nest in colonies on islands and rocks where there are no foxes. The eggs are most often laid in a hollow and lined with pale grey down and material found at the site.


Recent observations
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  • Home
  • Hjem
  • Bird observations
    • Recent photos
  • Species
    • Regular breeding birds >
      • Brent Goose
      • Barnacle Goose
      • Pink-footed Goose
      • King Eider
      • Common Eider
      • Long-tailed Duck
      • Svalbard Rock Ptarmigan
      • Ringed Plover
      • Ruddy Turnstone
      • Dunlin
      • Purple Sandpiper
      • Grey Phalarope
      • Black-legged Kittiwake
      • Ivory Gull
      • Great Black-backed Gull
      • Glaucous Gull
      • Arctic Tern
      • Great Skua
      • Arctic Skua
      • Little Auk
      • Brünnich's Guillemot
      • Common Guillemot
      • Razorbill
      • Black Guillemot
      • Atlantic Puffin
      • Red-throated Diver
      • Northern Fulmar
      • Snow Bunting
    • Scarce breeding birds >
      • Northern Pintail
      • Common Teal
      • Common Scoter
      • European Golden Plover
      • Red Knot
      • Sanderling
      • Red-necked Phalarope
      • Sabine's Gull
      • Common Gull
      • European Herring Gull
      • Lesser Black-backed Gull
      • Long-tailed Skua
      • Great Northern Diver
      • Northern Gannet
      • Redwing
      • Northern Wheatear
      • Meadow Pipit
      • Lapland Bunting
    • Annual non-breeders >
      • Canada Goose
      • Cackling Goose
      • Snow Goose
      • Greylag Goose
      • Bean Goose
      • Greater White-fronted Goose
      • Whooper Swan
      • Eurasian Wigeon
      • Mallard
      • Tufted Duck
      • Steller's Eider
      • Common Goldeneye
      • Red-breasted Merganser
      • Eurasian Oystercatcher
      • Whimbrel
      • Pectoral Sandpiper
      • Common Snipe
      • Common Redshank
      • Black-headed Gull
      • Ross's Gull
      • Iceland Gull
      • Pomarine Skua
      • Snowy Owl
      • Gyrfalcon
      • Bohemian Waxwing
      • Barn Swallow
      • Song Trush
      • Common Blackbird
      • Fieldfare
      • White Wagtail
      • Common Redpoll
      • Arctic Redpoll
  • About
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  • Fugleobservasjoner
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    • Vanlige hekkefugler >
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    • Årlige ikke-hekkende >
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      • Tjeld
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      • Enkeltbekkasin
      • Rødstilk
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