Common eider

Common eider
Adult male, breeding plumage
Female
Conservation status
Near Threatened  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Anseriformes
Family:	Anatidae
Genus:	Somateria
Species:	S. mollissima
Binomial name
Somateria mollissima (Linnaeus, 1758)
Subspecies
S. m. mollissima (Linnaeus, 1758) S. m. faeroeensis C. L. Brehm, 1831 S. m. v-nigra Bonaparte and G. R. Gray, 1855 S. m. borealis (C. L. Brehm, 1824) S. m. sedentaria Snyder, 1941 S. m. dresseri Sharpe, 1871
Range of S. mollissima   Breeding range   Wintering/Feeding range
Synonyms
Anas mollissima Linnaeus, 1758

The common eider (pronounced /ˈaɪ.dər/) (Somateria mollissima), also called St. Cuthbert's duck or Cuddy's duck, is a large (50–71 cm (20–28 in) in body length) sea-duck that is distributed over the northern coasts of Europe, North America and eastern Siberia. It breeds in Arctic and some northern temperate regions, but winters somewhat farther south in temperate zones, when it can form large flocks on coastal waters. It can fly at speeds up to 113 km/h (70 mph).^[2]

The eider's nest is built close to the sea and is lined with eiderdown, plucked from the female's breast. This soft and warm lining has long been harvested for filling pillows and quilts, but in more recent years has been largely replaced by down from domestic farm-geese and synthetic alternatives. Although eiderdown pillows or quilts are now a rarity, eiderdown harvesting continues and is sustainable, as it can be done after the ducklings leave the nest with no harm to the birds.