![cover image](https://wikiwandv2-19431.kxcdn.com/_next/image?url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d8/Somateria_spectabilis.jpg/640px-Somateria_spectabilis.jpg&w=640&q=50)
Eider
Genus of birds / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the seaducks. For the river, see Eider (river). For other uses, see Eider (disambiguation).
The eiders (/ˈaɪ.dər/) are large seaducks in the genus Somateria. The three extant species all breed in the cooler latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere.[2]
Quick Facts Scientific classification, Type species ...
Eider | |
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King eider in breeding plumage | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Anseriformes |
Family: | Anatidae |
Subfamily: | Merginae |
Genus: | Somateria Leach, 1819 |
Type species | |
Anas spectabilis (king eider) Linnaeus, 1758 | |
Species | |
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Synonyms | |
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The down feathers of eider ducks and some other ducks and geese, are used to fill pillows and quilts—they have given the name to the type of quilt known as an eiderdown.[3]