Common eider (Somateria mollissima)
Key Findings
- Common eider (Somateria mollissima) is a common resident and passage migrant. Blackdog/ Murcar holds Britain’s largest single moulting flock.
- Common eider is an Amber list species.
- It is estimated that there are around 37,000 breeding pairs in Britain.
- Numbers of eiders at the Ythan have been on a steady downward trend for the last forty years with a peak annual figure of around 6,000 birds in the early 1980s. There are a number of theories about the reason for this decline but food availability is likely to be a major factor. Eider feed on shell fish and it is likely that numbers were artificially high due to the harvesting of mussels at the site. This would have increased the number of smaller mussels that were available to the eiders.
- Predation is another factor, and this is especially true as eider form creches to help protect ducklings, as the population reduced, the effectiveness of this technique also reduced.
- It should be noted that 2023 saw the largest numbers of eider ducklings in the last 11 years. Hopefully, this will result in more 1st year males in 2024 showing good breeding success.
Eiders at the Ythan Estuary @ianhaywildlife
Peak Common Eider Numbers at the Ythan Estuary
Notes
Linked Information Sheets
Key sources of Information
Reviewed on/by
22/11/23 by ian.hay@egcp.org.uk
22/11/23 by Daryl Short. Nature Reserve Officer, Forvie National Nature Reserve
Status
Live. Next update due 22/11/24
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Contact us
Telephone: 07971149117
E-mail: ian.hay@stateofthecoast.scot
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