Photo: Laura L. Whitehouse/USFWS · Alaska SeaLife Center, Seward, Alaska · U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service · Public Domain
Waterfowl
Steller's Eider
Polysticta stelleri
The smallest and most distinctive of the four eider species, the male Steller's Eider has a striking white head with a dark eye patch, chestnut breast, and pale body. Listed as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act due to population declines. Molting flocks congregate on the shallow lagoons of the Alaska Peninsula and Aleutians.
Where to look
Izembek Lagoon (Cold Bay) is the most reliable site; also Unimak Island and other eastern Aleutian bays. Pribilofs see small numbers during migration.
Habitat
Shallow coastal lagoons and bays; tundra lakes for breeding (Russia/northern Alaska).
Diet
Bivalves, crustaceans, aquatic insects, and plant material.
Natural history note
Steller's Eiders have extremely rapid molt cycles, molting all flight feathers simultaneously and becoming temporarily flightless — during which time they congregate in dense, protected lagoons.