KING EIDER 



315 



King Eider 



Somateria spectabilis 

 (so-ma-te-ri-a, spek-ta-bi-lis) 



Colour Plates Nos. 25 and 29. Downy Young No. 34. 



SCIENTIFIC NAME 



Somateria, from Greek, somatos, meaning the body, and erion, meaning wool, 

 down (referring to the down of the body); spectabilis, Latin, meaning conspicuous, 

 spectacular. 



COLLOQUIAL NAMES 



IN LOCAL ISE: Canvasback; cousin; Isle-of -shoals duck; king-bird; mongrel drake; 

 passing duck; pistrik (the Russian name for eider); sea duck; wamp's cousin; 

 warnecootai. 



DESCRIPTION 



ADULT MALE. WINTER PLUMAGE: Head. Crown and back of head, pearl 

 grey; cheeks, pale sea green; neck, throat and chin, creamy white, with V-shaped 

 forward-pointing black mark on throat and chin; bill, bright red orange; nail, 

 brownish grey; bill-processes (fig. 52). on each side at base of bill a large, 

 high, fleshy process extends into forehead, bright yellow, shading into bright 

 red orange on forward part, and bordered with a narrow line of glossy black 

 feathers; eye, dark brown; eyelids, bluish; spot below 

 eye, black; usually a creamy-white line over eye ex- 

 tending to sides of upper neck. Body. Foreback, white; 

 chest, creamy white, tinged creamy brown; back, scap- 

 ulars, rump, sides, breast and belly, brownish black; 

 large white patch on flanks at base of tail; feet, yel- 

 lowish to dull orange, with dusky webs. Tail and its 

 coverts, dull brownish black. Wings. Forward lesser 

 coverts, dusky, rest of lesser and middle coverts, white; 

 greater coverts, brownish black, outer ones narrowly 

 tipped with white; secondaries, outer ones, brownish 

 black, narrowly tipped with white; long inner second- 

 aries and tertials, sickle-shaped, brownish black, dark- 

 er on outer webs and somewhat glossed with purple; 

 primaries, brownish black; lining, grey and pale brown; 

 axi liars, white. 



o 



FIG. 52. Bill-processes 



of King Eider. Above, 



male. Below, female. 



(See also fig. 51) 



ECLIPSE PLUMAGE: The eclipse is similar in ap- 

 pearance, extent, and duration to that of the American 

 Eider. The moult into this plumage commences in 

 June or July and is at its height in August when the 

 male resembles the adult female. The full-plumaged wing is renewed. 



AUTUMN PLUMAGE: The moult out of the eclipse into full winter plumage 



follows much the same pattern as that described under the American Eider 



(which see); the wing is as in winter plumage; the full winter dress is usually 

 attained late in November. 



