Eíder Real
A simple vista
Rango e identificación
Mapa de migración y distribución
Descripción
Although the world population of the King Eider is large, the birds are seldom seen in the United States; most winter farther north and favor deeper water than the Common Eider. They often dive far for food and have been caught in nets as much as 150 feet (50 meters) below the surface. Like the Common Eider, they take large numbers of mussels and other shellfish but vary their diet with small fish, squid, sand dollars, and sea urchins. These birds nest in remote regions of the Arctic, where until recently they have suffered little disturbance. The migrations of the King Eider are spectacular, with huge flocks, often consisting entirely of males or of females, traveling in long lines along the coast, heading to or from their breeding or wintering grounds.