King Eider

Somateria spectabilis

The king eider 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.

Select tracking region

Where are you looking?

Select a tracking region above to ping the eBird database and reveal live hotspots for the King Eider.

Loading sightings...

💬 Discussion

Loading comments...

Enter your name and email to join the discussion

Low-Light Telephoto Systems

Identifying specific features of the King Eider requires high-contrast magnification. Check out the top-rated 8x42 optics.

View Pro Optics

📘 ID Reference Card

Duck & Waterfowl ID Reference

Compact pocket-card format — print & fold. Covers plumage, field marks, and song mnemonics.

$4.99View Card

Expedition Prep

Targeting the King Eider?

Build a custom travel itinerary around these hotpot clusters using our trip planning suite.

Open Planner