Steller’s eider  (Polysticta stelleri)

Range

Two fairly distinct populations of Steller’s eider exist, separated by the Khatanga Gulf, in Russia. One breeds west of the Khatanga, in western Russia, and winters in northern Europe around the north-east Atlantic Ocean and the Baltic Sea. The other population breeds east of the Khatanga, in eastern Russia and the arctic plain of Alaska, and spends winter along the Bering Sea (2) (7). Small numbers of Steller’s eider also winter in northern Japan (7).

View a distribution map for this species at UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre.

Habitat

During the breeding season Steller’s eider is found in open tundra near to pools, bogs, rivers and lakes, but in winter it prefers to keep to the shore and is found on rocky coasts, and in bays and estuaries (8).

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