This was perhaps the strangest duck we saw on our visit to the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust yesterday. They have 4 males there and are hoping to introduce some females soon.
The male spectacled eider's distinguishing marks are a black chest, unlike other eiders, and a large pale green head with black outlined white spectacle-like patches around the eyes. The white throat, neck, back, and folded wing contrast with the black rump, tail, and underparts. Females and young spectacled eiders have light brown patches around the eye. Other unique characteristics of these birds are the pale blue iris of the eye and facial plumage that extends halfway down the bill to the nostrils.
Most spectacled eiders breed along the coast of Arctic Russia, and about 8-10,000 birds breed on Alaska's North Slope. However, since the early 1970s, the number of spectacled eiders in western Alaska has declined by more than 90 percent to about 8,000 birds. This severe reduction raised concern about this bird's future, and in 1993, the spectacled eider was designated a threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act. Specific reasons for the decline are not certain, but recent studies have shown high rates of exposure to lead in Y-K Delta birds. While feeding in ponds, nesting adults and ducklings are picking up spent lead shot from hunting and are suffering health effects. Both the lead problem and the need to understand the biology of this species have stimulated an intensive research program to help their recovery. The spectacled eider was chosen as the subject for the 1987 Alaska Waterfowl Conservation Stamp.
This was perhaps the strangest duck we saw on our visit to the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust yesterday. They have 4 males there and are hoping to introduce some females soon.
The male spectacled eider's distinguishing marks are a black chest, unlike other eiders, and a large pale green head with black outlined white spectacle-like patches around the eyes. The white throat, neck, back, and folded wing contrast with the black rump, tail, and underparts. Females and young spectacled eiders have light brown patches around the eye. Other unique characteristics of these birds are the pale blue iris of the eye and facial plumage that extends halfway down the bill to the nostrils.
Most spectacled eiders breed along the coast of Arctic Russia, and about 8-10,000 birds breed on Alaska's North Slope. However, since the early 1970s, the number of spectacled eiders in western Alaska has declined by more than 90 percent to about 8,000 birds. This severe reduction raised concern about this bird's future, and in 1993, the spectacled eider was designated a threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act. Specific reasons for the decline are not certain, but recent studies have shown high rates of exposure to lead in Y-K Delta birds. While feeding in ponds, nesting adults and ducklings are picking up spent lead shot from hunting and are suffering health effects. Both the lead problem and the need to understand the biology of this species have stimulated an intensive research program to help their recovery. The spectacled eider was chosen as the subject for the 1987 Alaska Waterfowl Conservation Stamp.
2 comments:
Wow what strange looking birds! I haven't been to the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust since I was much younger. I grew up about 10 minutes away from there and we used to go walking around the nearby lake quite often.
So Weird looking with the patches around the eyes - very unusual photos - would love to see something like that!!
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