Common Eider
(Somateria mollissima)

Summary

Picture of bird
© Blake Matheson - License
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The Common Eider inhabits Arctic and subarctic coastal marine habitats in a circumpolar distribution that includes Russia, northern Europe, Alaska, Canada, and Greenland. The species spends its entire life cycle in marine environments: it nests in large colonies, mostly on marine islands, and forms large aggregations in inshore coastal regions outside of the breeding season. There are 4 subspecies of Common Eider worldwide: Pacific (S.m. v-nigra), Northern (S.m. borealis), Hudson Bay (S.m. sedentaria), and American (S.m. dresseri). Information on population size and trends for the Common Eider, as for most sea ducks, is largely unreliable because of the remoteness of the breeding and wintering areas, as well as the lack of regular population surveys. In the Canadian Arctic, Common Eiders are harvested for Aboriginal subsistence purposes (adults, eggs, and down), and the portion of the population that over-winters in Greenland are subject to subsistence and commercial harvests. They are also harvested recreationally, and their down is collected for commercial purposes. Data suggest that some populations have declined significantly in some regions; the harvest must be carefully monitored to ensure the long-term sustainability of the population. The harvest of this species in Canada has been highly variable since the 1990s, although overall, there has been a gradual decline in harvesting. This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.

Designations

Main designations for the species
DesignationStatusDateSubspecies, population
IUCN (Global)Near threatened2018 
Wild Species (Canada)Apparently secure2015 
State of North America’s BirdsWatch list2016 
Bird Conservation Region StrategyPriority Species2013 

Population status

Geographic area or populationPopulation change relative to ~1970ReliabilityStatus in relation to goal
CanadaModerate DecreaseLowNot Applicable
NorthernModerate DecreaseMediumAt an Acceptable Level
AmericanModerate DecreaseLowBelow Acceptable Level
PacificModerate DecreaseLowBelow Acceptable Level
Hudson BayModerate DecreaseLowData Deficient
 

Population estimate

Geographic area or populationPopulation estimate
Canada500,000 - 1,000,000 birds
 

Distribution maps

 

Migration strategy, occurrence

Short-distance migrant

Responsibility for conservation

Geographic areaResponsibility based on % of global population
CanadaModerate

General nesting period in Canada

Nesting period starts between early May and mid-June and ends between mid-July and late July, depending on the region. Before or after this period, the probability of an active nest is lower.
 

Conservation and management

Emerging threats for the Common Eider include epidemic outbreaks, increased shipping though Hudson Strait, declines in prey abundance (Sorte et al. 2017), thiamine deficiency (Balk et al. 2016, Gilbert 2018), mortality from oil spills, and high harvest in Newfoundland (Goudie et al. 2000, Robertson et al. 2014). Increased egg and chick predation and/or nest desertion due to disturbance has always been a concern, as reduced sea ice is forcing polar bears to search for alternate prey on land; ground-nesting seabirds are easy targets (Kuletz et al. 2017). It is believed that increasing resource development in Canadian Arctic breeding areas will likely result in increased human activity and have potential adverse effects on Common Eider populations. In Canada, Common Eiders are harvested recreationally, commercially (down collection), and for Aboriginal subsistence purposes. In some regions, data suggest that harvest needs to be carefully monitored to ensure it remains sustainable (Gilliland et al. 2009).

 

Bird conservation region strategies

Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:

  • conservation concerns (i.e., species vulnerable due to population size, distribution, population trend, abundance, or threats)
  • stewardship responsibilities (i.e., species that typify the regional avifauna or have a large proportion of their range or population in the sub-region)
  • management concerns (i.e., species that require ongoing management because of their socio-economic importance as game species, or because of their impacts on other species or habitats)
  • other concerns (i.e., species deemed a priority by regional experts for other reasons than those listed above or because they are listed as species at risk or concern at the provincial level)

Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.

BCRs, marine biogeographic units, and sub-regions in which the species is listed as a priority
RegionSub-region and priority type
Arctic Plains and MountainsArctic Plains and Mountains, sub-region and priority type: Prairie and Northern -- Other
Arctic Plains and MountainsArctic Plains and Mountains, sub-region and priority type: Quebec -- Other
Atlantic Northern ForestsAtlantic Northern Forests, sub-region and priority type: Quebec -- Other
Boreal Softwood ShieldBoreal Softwood Shield, sub-region and priority type: Quebec -- Other
Gulf of St. LawrenceGulf of St. Lawrence, sub-region and priority type: Atlantic, NB -- Other
Gulf of St. LawrenceGulf of St. Lawrence, sub-region and priority type: Atlantic, NL -- Other
Gulf of St. LawrenceGulf of St. Lawrence, sub-region and priority type: Atlantic, NS -- Other
Newfoundland and Labrador Shelves Newfoundland and Labrador Shelves , sub-region and priority type: Atlantic, NL -- Other
Scotian ShelfScotian Shelf, sub-region and priority type: Atlantic, NB -- Other
Scotian ShelfScotian Shelf, sub-region and priority type: Atlantic, NS -- Other
Taiga Shield and Hudson PlainsTaiga Shield and Hudson Plains, sub-region and priority type: Prairie and Northern -- Conservation
 

References