Eider
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| King eider in breeding plumage | |
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Somateria
Leach, 1819
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Eiders (/ˈaɪ.dər/) are large seaducks in the genus Somateria.
The three extant species all breed in the cooler latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere.
The down feathers of eider ducks, and some other ducks and geese, are used to fill pillows and quilts—they have given the name to the type of quilt known as an eiderdown.
Steller's eider (Polysticta stelleri) is in a different genus despite its name.[1]
The call of the duck has been likened to sound of "surprised pantomime dames, or even the comedian Frankie Howerd".[2]
Species
- Common eider (Somateria mollissima)
- King eider (Somateria spectabilis)
- Spectacled eider (Somateria fischeri)
Two undescribed species are known from fossils, one from Middle Oligocene rocks in Kazakhstan and another from the Late Miocene or Early Pliocene of Lee Creek Mine, United States. The former may not actually belong in this genus.
References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.. |
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Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article Eider (Duck). |
