Abstract
One of the most interesting groups
of North American waterfowl are
those referred to as sea ducks.
Included in this group are the various
eiders, three species of seaters, Old
Squaw Ducks, Harlequin Ducks, and
the extinct Labrador Duck. With the
exception of the three varieties of
seaters, which are sombre black in
color, sea ducks are quite spectacular
being among the most striking of all
waterfowl. As the name implies, they
spend much of their time at sea and
are rarely encountered inland. As a
result they are less well known than
other waterfowl. Most breed in the far
north and nesting is normally near salt
water. When the young hatch the
mother soon takes them to sea. Males
do not assist in rearing the young.
Once the female begins incubation
the male departs and males then
gather in groups of their own gender
to molt and grow new plumage. The
new plumage, which lasts through the
summer and early fall, is known as the
eclipse. It is quite different from the
breeding plumage, being much less
spectacular, and decidedly subdued.
Sea ducks feed almost exclusively
on animal matter, shellfish and mussels
being favorite fare. They are powerful
swimmers and can dive to considerable
depths for food. As one
might imagine, the diet imparts a
strong flavor to the flesh and they are
not highly regarded as food. New
England gunners refer to seaters as
coots. A favorite recipe among the old
time gunners for coot stew was as follows,
"Take one freshly killed coot,
nail it solidly to a hardwood board,
boil until tender, throw away the coot
and eat the board." I cannot verify this
fare from personal experience. However,
I have eaten dried eider with the
Eskimos in Alaska, and can attest to
the fact that on a rating of one to ten
the flavor would at best be perhaps a
negative seven. They are incredibly
fishy and quite disagreeable.
There are three species of seaters -
Surf Seaters, Black Seaters, and Whitewinged
Seaters. They are much less
spectacular than other sea ducks,
being almost entirely black. The Surf
Scoter has some interesting white and
yellow markings on the head and bill,
but is otherwise black. As the name
implies, the Black Scoter, indeed, is
black. The White-winged Scoter has a
small white patch behind the eye, and
the wing speculum is white, otherwise
it, too, is black. The Surf Seater is
peculiar to North America, but the
other two are also found in Europe
and Asia. Sea ducks are not easily
maintained in captivity. Seaters in particular
are rarely encountered in collections.
Not only are they difficult to
acquire, but because they are difficult
to maintain, and are not colorful, little
effort has been made to establish them
in captivity.
As a group, the eiders are one of the
most spectacular of the northern hemisphere
clucks. Males are predominately
black and white, with the
underside being largely black and the
upper portions white. There are some
delicate pastel patterns on the head
and bills tend to be brightly colored.
Exclusive of the tiny Steller's Eider,
which is little more than teal size, eiders
are large and powerfully built.
The Steller's Eider has a white head,
with a slight colored crest at the nape.
The eye is dark and surrounded by a
black ring. The throat is black as is the
back. A band of white extends along
either side while the breast is cinnamon,
which merges to black at the
posterior part of the body. All eider
females are an overall rich brown with
considerable dark barring. Although
females are somewhat less spectacular
than males, they are none-the-less
quite beautiful in their own right.
Eiders have long been famous for
their luxurious down, which is one of
the finest insulating materials known.
In Iceland and Norway, where eiders
nest in colonies, the down has long
been collected by eider "farmers".
These farmers care for and protect the
colonies, and, in exchange, collect the
down for commercial purposes. The
practice is not legal in North America,
so commercial eider down comes
largely from those countries. The
down is a rich brown in color and is
incredibly light and fluffy. I have seen
hatched eider nests on the Alaska tundra
that, when abandoned after the
hatch, would puff up like giant
mushrooms all about the tundra
ponds. Quite a remarkable sight.
There are five races of eiders which
are generally grouped together, and
are referred to as the common eiders.
They are widely distributed across
North America and Eurasia. They consist
of the Pacific Eider, the American,
Faroe, Northern, and European Eider.
All are similar in plumage, but have
slight differences in bill shape and
color, and there is a variation in size.
Males in breeding plumage are white
above, with black undersides. Head
and neck is white with a black cap
running from the base of the bill,
across the crown to the back of the
head. There are pastel patches of
green at the back of the head and the
chest is a pale pinkish buff. The eyes
of all eiders are black, and commonly
almond-like in shape. As stated above,
all female eiders are a rich brown with
clark barring. The group is typically
marine, nesting on islands and coastal
areas. Once hatched, the young
accompany their mothers to sea. They
feed largely on animal matter, especially
mussels and shellfish.
Two other forms, the Spectacled and
King Eiders, are unique. They are represented
by a single species each, and
the plumage pattern, particularly that
of the head, is distinct from other eiders.
The King Eider has the forward
portion of the body white, with a
pinkish buff coloring on the chest.