Scientific name: Somateria spectabilis (Linnaeus, 1758)
Bird group: Ducks
Field characters. 47-63 cm. Slightly smaller and shorter billed than Eider. Adult male unmistakable with orange-red bill and shield on forehead, green upper cheeks and pearl-grey crown; chest buff-pink; in flight white neck/upper mantle and wing coverts are visible. Rest of bird black, except for round white patches on sides. Male in eclipse mostly black with brown vermiculations on breast; wing coverts white. Female resembles female Eider but more rufous, flanks scalloped (not barred) and with different bill feathering ('smiling' expression). Juvenile resembles female but often with pale eye-ring.
Voice. Male utters a repeated "hoo" like Eider but softer; female utters "gog"-like tones also similar to Eider but deeper and hoarser.
Distribution. High-arctic species which winters along the coast of N Norway and E Iceland, farther offshore than Eider.
Habitat. Breeds inland within tundra zone, not along the coast. Outside the breeding season mainly on sea.
Food. Molluscs, crustaceans, echinoderms. On the breeding grounds crustaceans, insects and some plant material, mainly grasses.
Eggs. Elongate oval; pale olive. Size 67 x 45 mm (61-78 x 41-49), weight 64 g (59-69).