Ducks, geese, and swans · Waterfowl
Steller’s Eider
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Polysticta stelleri
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How to recognize it
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43–47 cm long; compact body, angular head, long tail
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Spring male: white head, green markings, black patches around the eyes and a black collar
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Female year-round: dark brown, with a pale eye-ring
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Both sexes: blue wing patch with white borders, clearly visible in flight
About the species
In breeding plumage, the male has a white head and shoulders, set against a cinnamon breast and black marks around the eyes and neck. Green patches behind the head and near the bill add a little color, and long black-and-white striped feathers drape over the folded wing. Both sexes have a blue-purple wing patch edged in white; the female is dark brown with a pale ring around each eye.
It feeds close to shore, diving briefly, swimming underwater, or dabbling at the surface. Males give a low, jumbled growl, while females call "qua-haaa"; males court with silent head-shaking displays, and their feathers whistle in flight.
It nests in marshy Arctic tundra near the coast and shifts to sheltered bays and lagoons for winter. Crustaceans and molluscs are major foods; in summer it also takes aquatic insects and plant matter, while winter feeding includes other small marine invertebrates.
Where to find
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In winter, look for Steller's Eider in flocks on the shallows of coastal bays beside rocky shores, diving for invertebrates and feeding at the surface.
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In late spring and summer, scan the shallows at river estuaries, where it dives for small crustaceans and molluscs.
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In early summer, by small lakes and sedge marshes in Arctic tundra, you may spot a female leading downy young to the water; the chicks soon feed for themselves.
