Fauna Flora Photography

Common Eider Somateria mollissima

A large duck, commonly seen in St. Lawerence River, more often on the river than along the shores.

Specs

Length54-71cm
Weight1.5-2.5kg male, 1.2-1.8kg female
Wingspan91-105cm

Common Names

GermanEiderente
EnglishCommon Eider
FrenchEider à duvet
SpanishEider común

Taxonomy

OrderAnseriformes
FamilyAnatidae
SpeciesSomateria mollissima

How to Identify

The shape of its beak is a clealy noticeable characteristic to identify this bird.

Common Eider (Somateria mollissima) - Saguenay St. Lawrence Marine Park - 2021-08-23
Common Eider (Somateria mollissima) - Tadoussac - 2018-05-22

Where and When to Spot

Commonly seen along St. Lawrence River. Usually in flocks, floating away from shores, flying up when a boat is approaching.

Last updated on 2024-03-14. Written and regularly updated by Karl-Heinz Müller, Dipl. Natw. ETH, Biology. With 10 years of experience in wildlife photography, Karl-Heinz shares first-hand, on-site collected observations, photos and videos from his frequent visits to parks in the Montreal area.