King Eider Similar Species Comparison
Main SpeciesKing Eider
Male
Large sea duck with an oblong head and a smaller bill. Males have an ornately colored blue, green, and orange head and a black-and-white body. Note orange bill.
© Ian Davies / Macaulay LibraryAlaska, June 20, 2013Female
Large sea duck. Females have a black bill and are mottled in brown and black.
© Evan Lipton / Macaulay LibraryRhode Island, July 30, 2018Male and female
Males display for females by pushing their head forward while swimming around them.
© Timothy Barksdale / Macaulay LibraryNunavut, June 18, 1997Not all videos have sound
Immature male
Large sea duck. Immature males have a pale orange bill, a white chest, and a brown back.
© Jacob Drucker / Macaulay LibraryIllinois, November 02, 2019Male (with Common Eider)
Large sea duck with an oblong head and a smaller bill. Males have an ornately colored blue, green, and orange head and a black-and-white body. Often gathers with other sea ducks.
© Thomas Ford-Hutchinson / Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, March 19, 2017Similar SpeciesCommon Eider
Female (Northern)
Females have a paler head and the pale line on the face is less prominent than on female King Eiders.
© Ryan Schain / Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, December 10, 2011Similar SpeciesCommon Eider
Breeding male (Dresser's)
Males have a white (not black) back and a black cap that King Eiders lack.
© Ryan Schain / Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, January 23, 2011Similar SpeciesCommon Eider
Breeding male (Hudson Bay)
Males have a white (not black) back and a black cap that King Eiders lack.
© Jay McGowan / Macaulay LibraryManitoba, June 12, 2009Similar SpeciesSpectacled Eider
Male
Breeding males have a gray (not white) breast, a white (not black) back, and a white eye patch that King Eiders lack.
© Dena Turner / Macaulay LibraryAlaska, June 11, 2016Similar SpeciesSpectacled Eider
Female
Females have bolder barring on the sides than female King Eiders with a pale eye patch.
© Greg Greene / Macaulay LibraryAlaska, August 26, 2016Rotate Your Device to Better Compare
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Species in This Family
Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl(Order: Anseriformes, Family: Anatidae)
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