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Common Eider (Somateria mollissima)

This oil painting shows a pair of Common Eiders (Somateria mollissima) of the subspecies S. m. dresseri, which breeds along Canada’s east coast south as far as the northeastern U.S. coastline. But the species, overall, breeds on northern coastlines on both sides of the North Atlantic, across much of the polar region, and in eastern Siberia. They are migratory, and can occur in fall, winter, or spring, along any northern seacoast, and occasionally in fresh water. There are six subspecies recognized, each differing in minor details from the other, and I have included a rather old, acrylic painting I did of S. m. v-nigrum, which is found in the far northern Pacific, including Alaska and northeast Asia and is different enough that at times it has been thought that it might be a different species. Note the black “V” marking under the chin.
There are four species of eiders, with this being the most widely distributed, hence called “common”, a bit of a misnomer which, when applied to animals and plants, usually refers to a species that is more widely distributed – found in more places – than other similar species, but is not necessarily “common”.

Years ago, I was taken by a local conservationist to a small, treeless, uninhabited island off the very northern tip of Newfoundland, to be shown the tundra covered with evenly spaced flat wooden boxes, open at one end. They looked a little like those wooden cases used to house valued large books, but were laid flat, open end facing the nearby sea. They were nest boxes for eiders, who nest in colonies. The idea was that the boxes would help to protect the eggs and hatchlings from predation by circling gulls or perhaps other predators.

Female eiders remove down from their breasts to line their nests. The down has incredibly efficient insulating effects and there is much economic demand for it. As it happens, the female has enough down beneath the outer, contour feathers of her body that if the first layer she puts down is taken, she can produce another. The second layer would be left alone to insulate the eggs. Once the ducklings had left the nest the second layer could also be gathered up with no harm to the birds.

There was, I was told, a very high “offtake” of eiders by hunters in Newfoundland, the population was in significant decline, and it was hoped that the down would provide economic incentive to kill fewer birds, while promoting a viable cottage industry in a place where job opportunities were very limited. Collecting eider down is a very old tradition across the high latitudes of the northern hemisphere. The down is highly valued as insulation in winter clothing and quilts.

It may have worked. There was a steady increase in eiders for several years, although lately the population has been in decline, although it is still above the lower numbers. These birds are highly sociable, females gathering in groups offshore and sharing duties in collectively raising ducklings.

A heavy eider can weigh over three kilograms but usually they weigh around two. In addition to the usual hazards faced by oceanic birds – such as oil spills, entanglement in fishing gear, and epidemics, like one that apparently killed many of them in Hudson Bay more than two decades ago – they are now at increasing risk from polar bears who, due to a lack of sea ice supportive of the ringed seals they normally eat, are searching out nesting birds and their eggs – less nutritious, but better than going hungry.

My painting is approximately life size, shows a pair in breeding plumage, and is in oils on compressed hardboard. The size is about 24.5 by 30 inches. I sold the smaller one many years ago but I think it was about 20 by 15 inches, and do recall it was in acrylics, on compressed hardboard.

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