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Common Eider Somateria mollissima
IUCN Red List history
| Year | Category |
|---|---|
| 2012 | Least Concern |
| 2009 | Least Concern |
| 2008 | Least Concern |
| 2004 | Least Concern |
| 2000 | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
| 1994 | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
| 1988 | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
Species attributes
| Migratory status | full migrant | Forest dependency | Does not normally occur in forest |
| Land mass type | Average mass | - |
Distribution
| Estimate | Data quality | |
|---|---|---|
| Extent of Occurrence breeding/resident (km2) | 3,320,000 | medium |
| Extent of Occurrence non-breeding (km2) | 5,350,000 | medium |
| Number of locations | - | |
| Fragmentation | - |
Population & trend
| Estimate | Data quality | Derivation | Year of estimate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of mature individuals | poor | Estimated | 2009 | |
| Population trend | Unknown | - | ||
| Number of subpopulations | - | - | - | |
| Largest subpopulation | - | - | - | |
| Generation length (yrs) | 9 | - | - | - |
| Population justification: The global population is estimated to number c.3,100,000-3,800,000 individuals (Wetlands International 2006), while the population in Russia has been estimated at c.10,000-100,000 breeding pairs and c.1,000-10,000 wintering individuals (Brazil 2009). | ||||
| Trend justification: The overall population trend is uncertain, as some populations are decreasing, while others are increasing, stable, or have unknown trends (Wetlands International 2006). This species has undergone a small or statistically insignificant increase over the last 40 years in North America (data from Breeding Bird Survey and/or Christmas Bird Count: Butcher and Niven 2007) Note, however, that these surveys cover less than 50% of the species's range in North America. | ||||
Country/Territory distribution
| Country/Territory | Occurrence status | Extinct | Breeding | Non-breeding | Passage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Belarus | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Belgium | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Vagrant | No | |||
| Bulgaria | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Canada | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Croatia | Vagrant | No | |||
| Czech Republic | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Denmark | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Estonia | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Faroe Islands (to Denmark) | Native | No | |||
| Finland | Native | No | Yes | ||
| France | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Georgia | Vagrant | No | |||
| Germany | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Greece | Vagrant | No | Yes | ||
| Greenland (to Denmark) | Native | No | |||
| Hungary | Vagrant | No | Yes | ||
| Iceland | Native | No | |||
| Ireland | Native | No | |||
| Israel | Vagrant | No | |||
| Italy | Native | No | |||
| Japan | Vagrant | No | |||
| Latvia | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Liechtenstein | Native | No | |||
| Lithuania | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Luxembourg | Vagrant | No | |||
| Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Montenegro | Vagrant | No | Yes | ||
| Netherlands | Native | No | |||
| Norway | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Poland | Native | No | |||
| Portugal | Vagrant | No | |||
| Romania | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Russia (Asian) | Native | No | |||
| Russia (Central Asian) | Vagrant | No | |||
| Russia (European) | Native | No | |||
| Serbia | Vagrant | No | Yes | ||
| Slovakia | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Slovenia | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Spain | Native | No | Yes | ||
| St Pierre and Miquelon (to France) | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands (to Norway) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Sweden | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Switzerland | Native | No | |||
| Turkey | Vagrant | No | Yes | ||
| Ukraine | Native | No | Yes | ||
| United Kingdom | Native | No | |||
| USA | Native | No | Yes |
Important Bird Areas where this species has triggered the IBA criteria
| Country/Territory | IBA Name | IBA link |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | Île aux Fraises |  |
| Canada | Île Bicquette | |
| Canada | Îles Sainte-Marie | |
| Canada | Cape Freels Coastline and Cabot Island | |
| Canada | Cayes à Meck | |
| Canada | Eastern Shore Islands | |
| Canada | Eaux de l'archipel de Mingan | |
| Canada | Fischot Islands | |
| Canada | Mistaken Point | |
| Canada | Petite Île Sainte-Geneviève | |
| Canada | Point Lepreau/Maces Bay | |
| Canada | South Flaherty Islands | |
| Canada | Wadham Islands and adjacent Marine Area | |
| Denmark | Horsens Fjord, Svanegrunden & Endelave | |
| Denmark | Kiel Bay and adjacent waters | |
| Denmark | Korshage, Hundested and surrounding sea area | |
| Denmark | Lillebælt | |
| Denmark | Northern Kattegat | |
| Denmark | Northwestern Kattegat | |
| Denmark | Sejerø Bay and Nekselø | |
| Denmark | Sprogø and Halsskov Rev | |
| Denmark | Stavnsfjord and adjacent waters | |
| Denmark | Sydfynske Ø-hav | |
| Denmark | Vadehavet (Wadden Sea) | |
| Denmark | Vresen and sea area between Fyn and Langeland | |
| Estonia | Irbe strait | |
| Finland | Hanko western archipelago | |
| Finland | Korppoo and Nauvo southern archipelago | |
| Greenland (to Denmark) | Booth Sund area | |
| Greenland (to Denmark) | Dalrymple Rock | |
| Greenland (to Denmark) | Ikkattoq fjord and islands | |
| Greenland (to Denmark) | Kingittuarsuk III | |
| Greenland (to Denmark) | Kitsissorsuit (Ederfugleøer) | |
| Greenland (to Denmark) | Littleton island and nearby islets | |
| Greenland (to Denmark) | Qeqertaarsuit (Ederfugleøer) | |
| Greenland (to Denmark) | Stordal-Moskusoksefjord-Badlanddal-Loch Fyne-Myggbukta | |
| Iceland | Ædey | |
| Iceland | Borgarfjördur | |
| Iceland | Breidafjördur | |
| Iceland | Höfdahverfi | |
| Iceland | Hrísey | |
| Iceland | Hvalnesskridur-Thvottárskridur | |
| Iceland | Löngufjörur | |
| Iceland | Melrakkaslétta | |
| Iceland | Skardsfjördur | |
| Iceland | Skerjafjördur | |
| Iceland | Stafnes-Gardur | |
| Netherlands | North Sea north of the Wadden Sea | |
| Netherlands | Wadden Sea | |
| Norway | Ørland wetland system | |
| Norway | Froan | |
| Norway | Inner part of Porsanger fjord | |
| Norway | Inner Trondheimsfjord wetland system | |
| Norway | Neiden and Munkefjord | |
| Norway | Smøla archipelago | |
| Norway | Stjørdals Fjord | |
| Norway | Tanamunningen | |
| Norway | Varangerfjord | |
| Norway | Vega archipelago | |
| Russia (Asian) | Billings cape | |
| Russia (Asian) | Commander islands | |
| Russia (Asian) | First Kuril strait | |
| Russia (Asian) | Geka bay | |
| Russia (Asian) | Inchoun and Uelen lagoons | |
| Russia (Asian) | Karaginskiy island | |
| Russia (Asian) | Malkachan tundra | |
| Russia (Asian) | Meinypylginski and Kapylgyn lakes | |
| Russia (Asian) | Sireniki coast | |
| Russia (Asian) | West Chaun plain | |
| Russia (Asian) | Wrangel island | |
| Russia (European) | Ainov islands | |
| Russia (European) | Coastal belt of eastern Murmansk | |
| Russia (European) | Kandalaksha Bay | |
| Russia (European) | Khaypudyrskaya Bay (islands of B. Zelenets, Dolgi, Matveyev) | |
| Russia (European) | Onega Bay of the White Sea | |
| Russia (European) | Seven islands | |
| Russia (European) | Solovetski Archipelago and Zjizjginski island | |
| Russia (European) | Terski coast | |
| Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands (to Norway) | Forlandet National Park | |
| Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands (to Norway) | Inner parts of Kongsfjorden | |
| Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands (to Norway) | Nordenskiøldkysten | |
| Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands (to Norway) | North-west Spitsbergen National Park | |
| Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands (to Norway) | South Spitsbergen National Park | |
| Sweden | Bråviken - Hävringe | |
| Sweden | Coastal areas of eastern Gotland island | |
| Sweden | Outer Stockholm archipelago | |
| Ukraine | Kinburns'kyj peninsula | |
| Ukraine | Yagorlyts'ka and Tendrivs'ka Bays | |
Habitats & altitude
| Habitat (level 1) | Habitat (level 2) | Importance | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | Coastal Brackish/Saline Lagoons/Marine Lakes | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | Coastal Freshwater Lakes | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | Sea Cliffs and Rocky Offshore Islands | major | breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Rocky Shoreline | major | breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Tidepools | major | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Macroalgal/Kelp | major | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Macroalgal/Kelp | major | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Pelagic | marginal | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Seagrass (Submerged) | major | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Seagrass (Submerged) | major | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Loose Rock/pebble/gravel | major | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Loose Rock/pebble/gravel | major | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Rock and Rocky Reefs | major | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Rock and Rocky Reefs | major | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Sandy | major | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Sandy | major | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Sandy-Mud | major | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Sandy-Mud | major | breeding |
| Altitude | 0 - 0 m | Occasional altitudinal limits |
Threats & impact
| Threat (level 1) | Threat (level 2) | Impact and Stresses | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Climate change & severe weather | Habitat shifting & alteration | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Future | Whole (>90%) | Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
| |||||||||
Utilisation
| Purpose | Primary form used | Life stage used | Source | Scale | Level | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pets | Whole | Adults and juveniles | Wild | International | Non-trivial | Recent |
| Sport | Whole | Adults and juveniles | Wild | Subsistence, National | Non-trivial | Recent |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2013) Species factsheet: Somateria mollissima. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 18/06/2013.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2013) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 18/06/2013.
This information is based upon, and updates, the information published in BirdLife International (2000) Threatened birds of the world. Barcelona and Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, BirdLife International (2004) Threatened birds of the world 2004 CD-ROM and BirdLife International (2008) Threatened birds of the world 2008 CD-ROM. These sources provide the information for species accounts for the birds on the IUCN Red List.
To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife
To contribute to discussions on the evaluation of the IUCN Red List status of Globally Threatened Birds, please visit BirdLife's Globally Threatened Bird Forums.
| Key facts | |
|---|---|
| Current IUCN Red List category | Least Concern |
| Family | Anatidae (Ducks, geese and swans) |
| Species name author | (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| Population size | mature individuals |
| Population trend | Unknown |
| Distribution size (breeding/resident) | 3,320,000 km2 |
| Country endemic? | No |
| Links to further information | |
| - Summary information on this species | |
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