- Somateria spectabilis
Identification
Range: In the Western Palearctic breeds only in the far north on the islands of Svalbard, Novaya Zemlya and Ostrov Kolguyev, and on the mainland of coastal Arctic Russia from the Kanin Peninsula eastwards. Occasionally breeds south of main range and sometimes interbreeds with Common Eider. In winter occurs from the White Sea west to the north Scandinavia coast and around coasts of Iceland. Chicks have been recorded in Iceland although they were considered to be probable hybrids. Rare but regular in northern Scotland in very small numbers with long-staying and returning individuals (c.170 records). Also regularly recorded in small numbers in the southern Baltic. Occasional elsewhere in Britain, vagrant over most of Northern Europe and south to Spain, Italy and the Azores.
Habitat: Breeds on tundra, winters at sea normally in Arctic regions and not confined to inshore waters. However, vagrants to the south of usual range usually seen inshore in company of Common Eiders.
