Spectacled Eider (Somateria fischeri)
About the Spectacled Eider
The spectacled eider (pronounced) (Somateria fischeri) is a large sea duck that breeds on the coasts of Alaska and northeastern Siberia. The spectacled eider is slightly smaller than the common eider at 52–57 cm (20.5–22.5 in) in length. The male is unmistakable with its black body, white back, and yellow-green head with the large circular white eye patches which give the species its name. The drake's call is a weak crooning, and the female's a harsh croak. The female is a rich brown bird, but can still be readily distinguished from all ducks except other eider species on size and structure. The paler goggles are visible with a reasonable view and clinch identification. Immature birds and eclipse adult drakes are similar to the female.
No audio on this page yet
We only publish recordings we may use commercially, because this site is supported by ads. xeno-canto lists 12 recordings for this species: 8 CC BY-NC-SA · 4 CC BY-NC-ND. None of them permits commercial use, so there is no player here — the page is kept as a profile so the bird is not missing from the guide.
As soon as someone uploads a freely licensed recording, we mirror it and the player appears here.
Listed as recorded in United States in the xeno-canto catalogue.
Related species you can hear
- Common EiderSomateria mollissimarecording
This species has no recording here yet — these relatives do, so you can hear what the family sounds like.