Blue Eider
Blue
Eider, Somateria novasolensis L 50-70 cm, WS 95-100 cm, W
800-2400 g Family: Anatidae
IUCN Conservation Status:
Least
Concern (LC)
Description:
Bulky
sea duck with a sloped forehead and long bill. Largest endemic duck species. Breeding
males have a black sides, belly, and neck and white back and breast with a
bluish wash. Head ornately patterned with white cheeks, a blue crown, and black
striping. Bill is yellow-orange and long with two raised ridges extending above
the nostrils into the forehead. Females are brown overall with dense black
barring, bill dull gray. Immatures and non-breeding males similar to females,
but with variable white and blue spotting.
Voice:
Males
are quite vocal and often emit low, dovelike coos and hoots. Females may give
soft gurgles and croaks, and both sexes will give repetitive, harsh quacking
when alarmed.
Range and Habitat:
Common
seabird found along all Novasolan coastlines and large interior lakes. Breeds along
the northern coast, Kosatka Island, and in the Great Shadow Lake and Chidkayook
river basin. Winters farther south along the coasts and inland in wetlands and
deltas in the western Angelics and the Charlotte Sound region. Eiders nest in
tundra, marshes and wetlands, grassy or mossy islands and coastal inlets, and
occasionally moist shrubland.
Discussion:
Novasola
is a globally recognized hotspot for seabirds and waterfowl, with well over a
hundred observed species. The island is home to twelve endemic species of duck,
the largest of which is the Blue Eider. This is also one of the most common
seabirds on Novasola. Males are easily recognized by their bold black and white
and subtle blue plumage. Though every species of eider can be found on
Novasola, the Blue Eider breeds here and nowhere else, and outnumbers the other
species significantly. It is also typically the most southerly of eiders, both
during the breeding and non-breeding seasons.
Blue
Eiders eat mostly mollusks like mussels, oysters, and clams, as well as snails,
but will also forage for crustaceans, marine worms like barnacles, and
echinoderms like sea stars and urchins. Inland populations will eat more
insects, small fish, and vegetation to supplement the fewer mollusks. Eiders
dive underwater for their food, up to 300 feet deep, and use their robust bill
to pull mussels from the rocks or puncture the outer shells of urchins. Most of
their food is swallowed while the bird is still underwater, unless the item
requires more processing effort. Females on nest rarely eat but may forage on
vegetation or invertebrate close to the nest while her paired male forages in
the waters close by. Juvenile eiders eat algae, insects, soft mollusks like
slugs and snails, and small crustaceans like amphipods.
Though
considered monogamous, Blue Eiders often mate with multiple individuals though
pair with one during the nesting season, often though not always the same
individual as the previous year. Notably, Blue Eiders often display for and
mate with others outside the breeding season, throughout the fall and winter. Males
engage in exaggerated wing flap and head shake displays, and birds usually pair
up before spring. In the spring females will choose a nest site, usually right
next to the water under the cover of small shrubs, grasses, rocks, or
driftwood. Many females reuse the same nest site each year, and many use nests
from other species, for example old puffin burrows or loon nests. They tend to
nest away from other birds, but they will sometimes form small nesting colonies,
usually on coastal islands where space is limited but food resources are
abundant. Females do all the incubating, but males will remain close and defend
the nest. Once chicks have hatched, the adult males will leave the female and
go out to sea to molt. Females and young eventually travel to the molting
areas. Young birds likely stay in the open ocean for their first year before
returning to their second spring to mate. Even inland populations, like those
in the Great Shadow Lake, travel to sea for their first year and to molt. Blue
Eiders are strong fliers, and some may travel hundreds of miles each season. Outside
the breeding season, especially in the coldest months of winter, Blue Eiders
will form immense flocks or can be found in large mixed flocks with other duck
and seabird species.
Unlike
most endemic species, Blue Eider populations have actually increased since
European colonization, the only seabird to do so. Colonists and settlers would
actually encourage eiders to nest so that they could collect the insulating
feather down the females use to line their nests. Though Blue Eiders don’t
usually nest in colonies, people would build artificial nest sites for the
eiders to use which would attract larger numbers of the ducks, essentially
creating artificial colonies. The prized eiderdown was historically collected
for use in bedding. Indigenous peoples have been harvesting eiderdown from old
nests for centuries, and Blue Eiders are culturally important to most coastal
tribes. Taiyalun people would use eiderdown and eider skins in clothing and eat
its meat. The Kloshtiq word for the bird is sakusamiq.
The
Blue Eider was first discovered in 1760 by Juan Tomás Hidalgo, the naturalist
for Francisco Ricci’s voyage, and George York Baker recorded large numbers of
the bird in Charlotte Sound in 1780. Russian colonists and hunters along the
northwestern coasts soon began hunting eiders and setting up artificial nests
to collect eiderdown. By the time of the NRC expeditions, the Blue Eider was already
a well-known duck.
“The
males, in their bold nuptial plumage of white, black and blue, stand in stark
contrast to the earthy-toned females, well camouflaged to the rocky outcrops upon
which they conceal their nests. Barring winter visitors from off-island, no
other species of duck rivals the Blue Eider in size, should their plainly
obvious coloration or ridged bill be not enough to distinguish them.” – Manual
to Novasolan Birds, 1914
“A
crisp, salty wind battered our vessel as we sailed along the rugged coastline,
charting waters unseen by the eyes of most men. The cries of gulls and the
rhythmic sound of the waves provided a constant backdrop to our journey, but
today, a new voice joined this maritime chorus, the calls of the Blue Eider
duck.
…
As
we rounded the headland, my attention was drawn to a cluster of rocks jutting
from the sea like ancient sentinels. Upon the craggy shores was a small gathering
of eiders. Our crew swiftly prepared the dinghy for its upriver expedition, and
with hearts full of anticipation we rowed toward the inlet, which
coincidentally brought us directly to the ducks, providing me with yet more
opportunities to observe breeding eiders. I had hoped to stop and search for
nests, though the leader of our party had other intentions and our schedule was
not to be delayed.” – Expedition log, September 2, 1903
“Males,
with their proud blue crests and contrasting hues, engage in courtship displays
throughout the year. The females often accept these courtships and copulate in
any season, though not once nesting has begun. Then the females, often seeming
unimpressed by the males' advances, pay no mind to these displays and tend to
their well-hidden nests amidst the shelter of rocks or reeds. I have witnessed
these courtship dances on a number of occasions in the northern waters, and in
the Great Shadow Lake. As I observed them, I could not help but let a sense of
wonder overtake me. Here, in this remote and untouched corner of the world, the
eider ducks, with their timeless rituals and resilient existence, embodied the
spirit of these untamed shores. Indeed, these seaducks flourish in the waters
so hostile to the vessels of man.” – Native Birds of Novasola, 1912