King Eider
Somateria spectabilis
- Family
- Ducks, Swans, and Geese (Anatidae)
- Order
- Anseriformes
Overview
The king eider (pronounced ) (Somateria spectabilis) is a large sea duck that breeds along Northern Hemisphere Arctic coasts of northeast Europe, North America and Asia. The birds spend most of the year in coastal marine ecosystems at high latitudes, and migrate to Arctic tundra to breed in June and July. They lay four to seven eggs in a scrape on the ground lined with grass and down.
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to see it
Destination guides featuring this bird
Range and habitat
Breeds coastal northern and central Greenland, Svalbard (north of Norway), Russia from east of the White Sea to Chukotka (northeastern Russia); Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska, northern slope of Canada and associated arctic islands; winters to Kamchatka (southeastern Russia) and Aleutian Islands, Newfoundland (southeastern Canada), southern Greenland, Iceland, and northern Norway.
Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: King eider
- eBird: sightings, maps and photos
- xeno-canto: sound recordings
- Birds of the World: full species account (subscription)
- BirdLife DataZone: status and threats
- IUCN Red List (threat status)
- AviList global checklist (taxonomy)
Last updated September 29, 2026.
