King Eider

1/640s at f8.0, ISO:800, Canon Mark IV 1D w/800mm, 1.4x converter


The King Eider is a large sea duck that breeds along the 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 4-7 eggs in a scrape on the ground lined with grass and down. This species dives for benthic invertebrates like crustaceans, worms, and molluscs, with mussels being a favored food. Wintering birds can form large flocks on suitable coastal waters, with some flocks exceeding 100,000 birds.
Cambridge Bay, Canada
 
06/29/2011