When he first described the king eider in 1758, in the 10th edition of his opus Systema Naturae, Carl Linnaeus assigned it to the genus Anas, along with the rest of the See more

The king eider is a large sea duck, measuring 50–70 cm (20–28 in) in length with a wingspan of 86–102 cm (34–40 in). Males are, on average, heavier than females, with a mean weight of 1.668 kg (3.68 lb) for males and 1.567 kg (3.45 lb) for females. An … See more

Food and feeding
The king eider's foraging strategies change depending on the season. For much of the year, it is … See more

The king eider, or qengallek (pronounced [qə.ˈŋaː.ɬək]) in Yup'ik, is a regular source of fresh meat in the spring. They begin their migration past the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta in … See more

The king eider is circumpolar, found throughout the Arctic. It breeds on the Arctic coast of Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Svalbard and Russia, using a variety of tundra habitats. It winters in arctic and subarctic marine areas, most notably in the Bering … See more

Due to its large population and vast range, the king eider is listed as a species of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. … See more

• King eiders (male and female) in natural habitat in Alaska wildlife refuge
• The conspicuous head of a male
• The gait of a king eider at Weltvogelpark Walsrode (Walsrode … See more