Steller's Eider
Encyclopedia
The Steller's Eider is a medium-large sea duck
that breeds along the Arctic coasts of eastern Siberia
and Alaska
. The lined nest is built on tundra close to the sea, and 6-10 eggs are laid.
It winters
somewhat farther south in the Bering Sea
, northern Scandinavia
and the Baltic Sea
. It can form large flocks, up to 200,000 bird
s on suitable coastal waters. It is scarce south of its wintering range.
This species dives for crustacean
s and molluscs, with mussel
s being a favoured food.
This species is the smallest eider
. The male is unmistakable with its black upperparts and neck collar, white head and yellowish underparts. The drake's call is a deep crooning, although it is relatively quiet compared to the Somateria eiders.
The female is a dark brown bird, smaller with a more typically duck
-shaped head and body than other eider species. She also has a repertoire of grunts and whistles.
This bird is named after the German naturalist Georg Steller.
The Steller's Eider is thought to have hybridised with the Common Eider
on at least two occasions in the wild. A drake showing characters of both species was present at Cuxhaven, Niedersachen, Germany
on 17 November 1993. Another drake was seen in Vadso harbour, Varanger
, Norway
on 7 April 1995; a photograph of this bird was published accompanying Forsman (1995).
) applies. There is an active recovery plan in Alaska
.
Merginae
The seaducks, Merginae, form a subfamily of the duck, goose and swan family of birds, Anatidae.As the name implies, most but not all, are essentially marine outside the breeding season. Many species have developed specialized salt glands to allow them to tolerate salt water, but these have not yet...
that breeds along the Arctic coasts of eastern Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
and Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
. The lined nest is built on tundra close to the sea, and 6-10 eggs are laid.
It winters
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
somewhat farther south in the Bering Sea
Bering Sea
The Bering Sea is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It comprises a deep water basin, which then rises through a narrow slope into the shallower water above the continental shelves....
, northern Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
and the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
. It can form large flocks, up to 200,000 bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s on suitable coastal waters. It is scarce south of its wintering range.
This species dives for crustacean
Crustacean
Crustaceans form a very large group of arthropods, usually treated as a subphylum, which includes such familiar animals as crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill and barnacles. The 50,000 described species range in size from Stygotantulus stocki at , to the Japanese spider crab with a leg span...
s and molluscs, with mussel
Mussel
The common name mussel is used for members of several families of clams or bivalvia mollusca, from saltwater and freshwater habitats. These groups have in common a shell whose outline is elongated and asymmetrical compared with other edible clams, which are often more or less rounded or oval.The...
s being a favoured food.
This species is the smallest eider
Eider
Eiders are large seaducks in the genus Somateria. Steller's Eider, despite its name, is in a different genus.The three extant species all breed in the cooler latitudes of the Northern hemisphere....
. The male is unmistakable with its black upperparts and neck collar, white head and yellowish underparts. The drake's call is a deep crooning, although it is relatively quiet compared to the Somateria eiders.
The female is a dark brown bird, smaller with a more typically duck
Duck
Duck is the common name for a large number of species in the Anatidae family of birds, which also includes swans and geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the Anatidae family; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered...
-shaped head and body than other eider species. She also has a repertoire of grunts and whistles.
This bird is named after the German naturalist Georg Steller.
The Steller's Eider is thought to have hybridised with the Common Eider
Common Eider
The Common Eider, Somateria mollissima, is a large sea-duck that 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...
on at least two occasions in the wild. A drake showing characters of both species was present at Cuxhaven, Niedersachen, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
on 17 November 1993. Another drake was seen in Vadso harbour, Varanger
Varanger
Varanger may refer to:*Varanger Peninsula of Norway*Cryogenian...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
on 7 April 1995; a photograph of this bird was published accompanying Forsman (1995).
Conservation
The Steller's Eider is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWAAEWA
The Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds is the largest of its kind developed so far under the Bonn Convention. It was concluded on 16 June 1995 at The Hague, the Netherlands and entered into force on 1 November 1999 after the required number of at least fourteen...
) applies. There is an active recovery plan in Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
.
External links
- BirdLife Species Factsheet.
- ARKive Photographs, videos.