Page 413 - Complete Birds of Britain and Europe (DK - RSPB)

WILDFOWL
Family Anatidae Species Aythya affinis Family Anatidae Species Somateria fischeri
Lesser Scaup Spectacled Eider

A black-fronted, pale-bodied diving duck (resembling A rare and elusive northern species, this is a large
Tufted Duck and Scaup, see pp.110, 109), this rare bird duck but smaller than the Eider (see p.111); the drake
has a rounded head with a very slight bump on the is similarly white above and black below, and has a
nape but no tuft. Its bill is pale blue-grey with a tiny wedge-shaped face with a pale green head marked by
black tip.The back is quite coarsely marked with wavy a large whitish disc around the eye.The brown female
grey bands (greyer and more thickly marked than has a pale buff version of this pattern. Unlike the King
Scaup).The white flanks are sullied with pale grey, and Eider, this species has not been found accompanying
faintly barred, unlike the pure white of an adult Scaup. Eider flocks in NW Europe and remains a very
Females are like female Scaup with a peaked nape. difficult bird to see.
OCCURRENCE Very rare vagrant to blue-grey bill OCCURRENCE Breeds in Siberia wedge-shaped
head
W Europe in autumn/winter, from with small and Alaska; very rare in Norway.
N America. black tip VOICE Silent in
VOICE Mostly silent. small bump winter. large whitish disc
on nape around eye
wavy grey bands black and white
on back plumage
MALE MALE

Length 38–45cm (15–18in) Wingspan 70cm (28in) Length 50–58cm (20–23in) Wingspan 80–95cm (32–37in)

Family Anatidae Species Somateria spectabilis Family Anatidae Species Polysticta stelleri
King Eider Steller’s Eider
This big, striking eider occasionally appears among This is a small and unusual eider, with a “normal”
large flocks of common Eiders (see p.111).The male head and bill shape.The drake is largely pale, with a
looks darker, with black upperparts and deep salmon black stern and collar and bold black eye-spot. Females
foreparts, and has a striking bulbous orange bill base; and immatures are dark, with two narrow white bars
the female is warm gingery brown, with a slim grey on the hindwing and white under the wing; the
bill and a “smiling” upturned gape line.At very close thick bill is grey, the head rather square
thick grey
range, it shows tiny “sails” on the back. grey head with a slight bump slight bump bill
OCCURRENCE Most often in on the nape. on nape
N Scandinavia and Iceland, but OCCURRENCE Arctic
rare; occasional in NW Europe. breeder, regular in N Norway,
VOICE Deep cooing notes rare in Baltic in winter.
in spring. VOICE Mostly silent.

sails black and white
wing feathers
white
patch

MALE MALE

Length 55–63cm (22–25in) Wingspan 87–100cm (34–39in) Length 42–48cm (16 1 ⁄2 –19in) Wingspan 68–77cm (27–30in)
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