Common Eider

Short abstract from the book:
The eider is a common breeder along the Danish coasts. The population has increased from about 3,000 breeding pairs in the 1950s to 25,000 pairs in the 1990s. In 1989–1992 about 800,000 were counted during winter, but the numbers have decreased to between 320,000 and 370,000 in 2000. In Denmark the first eider was ringed in 1925, and since then only mallards have been ringed in greater numbers. The majority were ringed in the 1970s, mainly as breeding females or ducklings. Most of the Danish eiders remain in Danish waters all year. Females often return to their place of birth, but many birds ringed as male ducklings have later been recovered in colonies in the Baltic Sea. Most eiders from the colonies in the Wadden Sea remain in this region all year. The majority of eiders breeding at Samsø stay in Kattegat throughout the year, but some are found in the Wadden Sea or even in Scotland. Many eiders from Saltholm migrate to Kattegat, and a minor proportion leave the inner Danish waters and are recovered in the Wadden Sea. Eiders from the most eastern Danish colony at Ertholmene make the longest migration: by October– November most birds have left Ertholmene and during winter most are found south of Funen. Some eiders from Ertholmene cross southern Jutland to winter in the Wadden Sea. The mean winter position of eiders ringed at Ertholmene was further west in 1990–2002 than in 1970–1989. Eiders from neighbouring countries moult in Danish waters from late August, but most recoveries of foreign-ringed birds are from October–February. Eiders from different breeding areas are found at different wintering areas in Denmark. More than half of the recoveries are controls, of these 97 % were performed at the ringing site. The main cause of death is hunting, mainly in Denmark (96 %). Most are reported as shot in October. Six per cent of the dead eiders had drowned in fishing nets, and 4 % were found oiled (most in 1971–72 and 1979).

Read more about the species in the chapter from The Danish Bird Migration Atlas here

Ringing data for Common Eider

Datavisning: genmeldinger    genmeldinger/mærkninger    mærkninger