Steller's Eider

It winters somewhat further south in the Bering Sea, northern Scandinavia and the Baltic Sea. It can form large flocks, up to 200,000 birds on suitable coastal waters. It is scarce south of its wintering range.

The Steller's Eider is classified as Vulnerable (VU), considered to be facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.

The Steller's Eider (Polysticta stelleri) is a medium-large sea duck, which breeds along the Arctic coasts of eastern Siberia and Alaska. The lined nest is built on tundra close to the sea, and 6-10 eggs are laid. It winters somewhat further south in the Bering Sea, northern Scandinavia and the Baltic Sea. It can form large flocks, up to 200,000 birds on suitable coastal waters. It is scarce south of its wintering range. More

Steller's Eider is thought to have hybridised with Common Eider on at least two occasions in the wild. A drake showing characters of both species was present at Cuxhaven, Niedersachen, Germany on 17 November 1993. Another drake was seen in Vadso harbour, Varanger, Norway on 7 April 1995; a photograph of this bird was published accompanying Forsman (1995). More

life history was understood, the Steller's Eider has been slowly declining for decades, for unknown reasons. Smallest of the world's four eider species, it is now the least numerous. Appearance: On average, the Steller's Eider is 17 inches long, with a 27 inch wingspan, and weighs 1.9 pounds. This eider is a small diving duck with a squarish head and compact frame. In breeding plumage, the male Steller's Eider is remarkable. More

Steller's eiders are the smallest of the four eider species, averaging 43-47 centimeters long (17-18.5 inches). In the winter and spring, adult males are in breeding plumage with a black back, white shoulders, chestnut breast and belly, a white head with a greenish tuft, and small black eye patches. During the late summer and fall, males are entirely mottled dark brown. Females and juveniles are mottled dark brown year-round. More

Steller's eiders are the smallest of the four eider species, averaging 17-18 inches long. The male has a white head with a greenish tuft and small black eye patches, a black back, white shoulders, and a chestnut breast and belly; females are mottled dark brown. Adults of both sexes have a blue wing speculum with a white border. More

The Steller's eider (Polysticta stelleri), the smallest of the eiders, is approximately 18 inches (45.7 cm) long and usually weighs about 2 pounds (0.9 kg). The Steller's eider is unusually colorful and has a unique plumage pattern for a sea duck. The male's white head has a black spot behind each ear and sea-green shading at the back of the head. The eye is surrounded by black and the bill is blue. More

of 40 Steller's eiders (16 adult and 24 juvenile) for research and conservation purposes. To learn more about specific projects, click on the topics below. Reproductive Biology and Physiology Breeding propensity and productivity are critical components of avian population cycles. Declines in reproductive productivity may significantly impact population trends and have already been reported in eiders. Reproductive problems have been documented for both of the threatened species in Alaska. More

Steller's Eider also winters north of the Arctic Circle in Europe and along the coast of Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula. A legend for the range map to the right can be found here. Population Status & Trends In the 20th century, breeding Steller's Eider numbers have been low, and so variable that single counts cannot be accurate. Between 1990 and 1998, an average of 4,800 pairs bred in Alaska. There may now be as few as 500 pairs. More

Steller's Eider: Breeds on northern and western coasts of Alaska. Spends winters on southern coast of Alaska and Aleutians. Frequents arctic coastal areas; nests on tundra near small ponds. More

The smallest eider, the Steller's Eider is restricted to northern latitudes where it breeds in freshwater tundra ponds. It spends the rest of the year in shallow marine waters. Birders rarely see it outside of Alaskan waters. More

The Steller's Eider is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies. Breeding / Nesting: The lined nest is built on tundra close to the sea, and 6-10 eggs are laid. Description: This species is the smallest eider. More

female Steller's EiderAdult females are dark brown in color, have pale rings around the eyes, and are marked by white wing linings easily visible in flight. Non-breeding males look much like the females, but with white upper wing coverts and more pronounced eye rings. distribution of Steller's Eiders in North AmericaDistribution and Habitat Steller's eiders breed in freshwater tundra ponds on the Arctic coasts of Alaska and Russia. More

Steller's Eider - The male Steller’s Eider has a black back, white upper breast and sides and brown underparts. The white head has a dark tuft on the back, black eye patch, and a black chin. Wings are white with black primaries and a white-bordered blue speculum. Bill, leg Steller's Eider Steller's Eider Female - The female Steller’s Eider has dark brown body, darker head, blue speculum bordered with white, and pale eye-ring. Steller's Eider Female . More

Description: The Steller's eider is the smallest and fastest flying of the eiders. Its appearance is puddle-duck-like, with a head and bill reminiscent of a mallard. Male Steller's eiders have a white head with a black eye spot and a pale green patch on the crown. The wing resembles that of a wigeon, but the white shoulder patch is larger and is bordered by a blue rather than a green speculum. More

Steller's Eider Stellers Eider in flight Photo: Glen Smart, USFWS Photo: Tim Bowman, USFWS Steller's Eider (Polysticta stelleri) blue dot Sea Duck Information Series blue dot Identification and Basic Life History blue dot Range Map blue dot Species Status Summaries (pdf 732kb) blue dot More Photos Jan's Ornamental Waterfowl Pages blue dot Related Web sites Alaska Dept of Fish and Game Steller's Eider Information USFWS endangered species profile More

hake fisheries off Ireland and the Steller's eider duck caught in gill-nets in the Baltic Sea.200,000 BIRDS A YEAR KILLED BY FISHERMEN; Conservation groups urge EU ... by The Mirror (London, England)In one particularly disturbing discovery, a dead female Steller's eider was piled with carcasses of six juveniles outside a hunting blind. More