UK Wildlife

Eider Sea Duck and Breeding Ecology

The eider is the UK's largest duck and breeds on Scottish and northern English coasts, famous for its soft down used to insulate nests, and for colonial breeding on islands.

Key Facts

Female eiders line nests with their own breast down, the original source of eiderdown
UK breeding population around 32,000 pairs, concentrated in Scotland
Males have distinctive pied plumage with pinkish breast
Dives for mussels and urchins in shallow coastal waters
Colonial nesters on islands provide some natural predator protection

Welfare Considerations

Eiders face threats from oil spills, avian flu outbreaks, and predation at nest sites. The 2022 HPAI outbreak caused significant mortality in UK seabird populations including eiders. Island nest sites need protection from disturbance and introduced predators.

What You Can Do

Support island predator control programmes that protect colonial nesting seabirds
Advocate for coastal marine pollution prevention near eider breeding sites
Record eider through coastal surveys to monitor population health