Common Eider

Male Common Eider swimming in the choppy water.
Common Eider, Parker River NWR, Plum Island, MA, January 11, 2024
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-800; f/11; 1/800 sec.

This page is for the Common Eider (Somateria mollissima). The first time to see them was quite a hike in the cold out to a point in the bay. It was well worth the hike as I got these shots and a few other new-to-me (at the time) species.

Female Common Eider swimming in the choppy water.
Common Eider, Parker River NWR, Plum Island, MA, January 11, 2024
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-800; f/10; 1/800 sec.
Immature male Common Eider swimming nearby.
Common Eider, Parker River NWR, Plum Island, MA, January 11, 2024
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-640; f/10; 1/800 sec.
Female Common Eider swimming nearby.
Common Eider, Gooseberry Island, Westport, MA, January 12, 2024
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-640; f/10; 1/1000 sec.
Male Common Eider swimming nearby.
Common Eider, Gooseberry Island, Westport, MA, January 12, 2024
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-500; f/10; 1/1000 sec.
Male and female Common Eiders swimming nearby.
Common Eider, Gooseberry Island, Westport, MA, January 12, 2024
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x Teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO-500; f/10; 1/1000 sec.
Male and female Common Eider swimming nearby.
Common Eider, Álftanes, Bessastaðatjörn, Iceland, June 20, 2025
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO 500; f/10; 1/1000 sec.
Female Common Eider swimming nearby.
Common Eider, Álftanes, Bessastaðatjörn, Iceland, June 20, 2025
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO 500; f/10; 1/1000 sec.
Female Common Eider and two chicks swimming near an island.
Common Eider, Hraunhreppsvegur, Iceland, June 21, 2025
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO 640; f/11; 1/1000 sec.
Male and female Common Eider swimming near the far shore.
Common Eider, Hraunhreppsvegur, Iceland, June 21, 2025
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO 400; f/11; 1/640 sec.
Male and female Common Eider standing in the shallow water in the rain. There are four chicks swimming nearby.
Common Eider, Rif-tjarnir, Iceland, June 21, 2025
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO 1600; f/11; 1/1000 sec.
Female Common Eider swimming in the rain.
Common Eider, Rif-tjarnir, Iceland, June 21, 2025
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO 1000; f/11; 1/640 sec.
Common Eider swimming in the harbor.
Common Eider, Nesvegur, Iceland, June 21, 2025
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO 8000; f/11; 1/640 sec.
Common Eider flying low over the stream.
Common Eider, Snæfellsnesvegur, Iceland, June 22, 2025
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO 51,200; f/11; 1/800 sec.
Male and female Common Eider swimming down the stream.
Common Eider, Snæfellsnesvegur, Iceland, June 22, 2025
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO 12,800; f/11; 1/800 sec.
Common Eider swimming near the shoreline.
Common Eider, Hellissandur, Iceland, June 22, 2025
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO 400; f/11; 1/800 sec.
About a dozen Common Eiders sitting on a beach. Blending in on the right is a King Eider.
Common Eider, Hellissandur, Iceland, June 22, 2025
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO 500; f/11; 1/800 sec.
Three Common Eiders swimming nearby.
Common Eider, Flatey Island, Iceland, June 23, 2025
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO 500; f/10; 1/1000 sec.
Six Common Eider swimming nearby.
Common Eider, Flatey Island, Iceland, June 23, 2025
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO 500; f/10; 1/1000 sec.
Six Common Eiders flying low to the water.
Common Eider, Látrabjarg-Bjargtangar, Iceland, June 23, 2025
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x teleconverter; 500 mm; ISO 1250; f/7.1; 1/1000 sec.
Five Common Eiders, three on the water and two coming in for a landing.
Common Eider, Patreksfjörður-Skápadalur, Iceland, June 24, 2025
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO 1250; f/11; 1/1000 sec.
Five Common Eiders, three on the water and two coming in for a landing.
Common Eider, Patreksfjörður-Skápadalur, Iceland, June 24, 2025
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO 1250; f/11; 1/1000 sec.
Five Common Eiders, three on the water and two coming in for a landing.
Common Eider, Patreksfjörður-Skápadalur, Iceland, June 24, 2025
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO 1250; f/11; 1/1000 sec.
Common Eider flying nearby.
Common Eider, Lón Austurbotn, Iceland June 26, 2025
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO 1000; f/11; 1/1600 sec.
Four Common Eiders coming in for a landing on the water.
Common Eider, Kópasker, Iceland June 26, 2025
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO 1600; f/10; 1/1600 sec.
Common Eider flying low over the water.
Common Eider, Kópasker, Iceland June 26, 2025
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO 800; f/11; 1/1000 sec.
Common Eider swimming nearby.
Common Eider, Kópasker, Iceland June 26, 2025
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO 1000; f/11; 1/1000 sec.
Baby Common Eider swimming nearby.
Common Eider, Kópasker, Iceland June 26, 2025
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO 1000; f/11; 1/1000 sec.
One male and four email Common Eiders sitting on the large rocks next to the water.
Common Eider, Tjörnes-Húsvík, Iceland June 26, 2025
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO 1600; f/11; 1/1000 sec.
Common Eider standing on the rocks next to the water.
Common Eider, Tjörnes-Húsvík, Iceland June 26, 2025
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO 800; f/10; 1/1000 sec.
Common Eider chick swimming nearby.
Common Eider, Kollafjörður, Iceland June 28, 2025
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO 400; f/10; 1/1000 sec.
Common Eider swimming nearby.
Common Eider, Kollafjörður, Iceland June 28, 2025
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO 500; f/11; 1/1000 sec.
Common Eider swimming nearby.
Common Eider, Keflavík, Iceland June 28, 2025
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO 3200; f/11; 1/1000 sec.
Common Eider chick flapping its developing wings while sitting on the water.
Common Eider, Keflavík, Iceland June 28, 2025
Canon EOS R5 with Canon 100-500 mm L-series lens with 1.4x teleconverter; 700 mm; ISO 3200; f/11; 1/1000 sec.