Steller’s Eider
Polysticta stelleri
- Family
- Ducks, Swans, and Geese (Anatidae)
- Order
- Anseriformes
Overview
Steller's eider (Polysticta stelleri) is a migratory Arctic sea duck that breeds along the coastlines of Russia and Alaska, as well as in the Baltic Sea. It is the smallest, and fastest flying of the duck species known as eiders; it is closely related to the other species of eider in the genus Somateria, but sufficiently distinct to be given separate recognition as the only member of the genus Polysticta.
Due to the extensive contraction of its breeding range, the Alaska-breeding population of Steller's eider was listed as vulnerable in 1997 by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The species is protected in Estonia, Finland, Norway, Russia and the United States, and is the subject of an ongoing recovery plan by the European Union and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Range and habitat
Breeds northwestern and northeastern Siberia from Yamal Peninsula to Chukotka, and Arctic Coastal Plain, northern Alaska; winters to Kamchatka Peninsula, Commander and Kuril islands (southeastern Russia), and Aleutian Islands; also Kola Peninsula, Barents and White seas (northwestern Russia), and Baltic Sea.
Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Steller's 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.
