The King Eider, a robust sea duck, inhabits cold marine areas, nesting in the Arctic and wintering in coastal waters worldwide.
Square head, gray crown, orange front, black throat, white cheeks, black belly, white flanks, black wings. Female: Brown, black spots, white wing bars.
King Eiders eat plants/insects on land, dive for crustaceans in breeding season, and feed on algae/sea creatures in winter.
King Eider pairs nest in tundra, female builds nest, lays eggs, male guards. Hatchlings follow mother to water, evade predators by diving.
Male King Eiders differ from Common and Spectacled Eiders in plumage. Females resemble each other, but King Eiders have distinctive features.
King Eider breeds in Arctic, migrates to Bering Sea or Atlantic coast. Not endangered, but faces decline due to oil spills, climate change.
King Eider, like other sea ducks, has eye bone structures shielding from sea elements and prey while foraging.
Species choose nesting sites with many lemmings, deterring Arctic Foxes due to jaegers and Snowy Owls' presence, known for chasing foxes.