How to identify it
Adult male: orange frontal shield on the bill, powder-blue head and much black on the back. [1]
Female: brown, much like a female common eider but with a different head shape and a scalloped (not barred) pattern on the sides. [1]
Young male: resembles a young male common eider but with a shorter bill and more square-looking head. [1]
Large sea duck, 53-71 cm. [1]
Compared with the common eider: Female king eiders have scalloped, not barred, sides and a different head shape; young males have a shorter bill and squarer head. [1]
Species it is confused with
Check these before deciding what you are looking at. If you are not certain what it is, do not shoot.
- Common eider · Somateria mollissima
Field notes
- Identification Do not identify King eider from colour alone. Compare structure, size, range and the listed similar species before making a field decision.[1]
Where it lives
Nests on high Arctic tundra, both on the coast and around inland freshwater lakes. Winters on the ocean in the far north, including pack-ice edges; less tied to the coast than the common eider and rare on fresh water such as the Great Lakes. [1]
How it behaves
Forages mainly underwater, often in deep water, diving more than 45 m (150 ft). [1]
Molluscs are a main food at most times, plus crustaceans, echinoderms and insects; insect larvae may dominate in summer. [1]
Spring migration begins very early, with flocks moving north over mostly frozen seas by early April; migrants to the central Canadian Arctic go around Alaska and northeastern Canada rather than overland. [1]
Where it is listed for legal take
These authorities list this species for legal take in their own regulations.
Where legal take is listed
- Canada (federal migratory birds) — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Birds Regulations, 2022 (SOR/2022-105), Schedule Parts 7-13 (MB, SK, AB, BC, NT, YT, NU)
- New Brunswick — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Birds Regulations, 2022, Schedule 3, Part 4 (New Brunswick) (current to 2026-09-21)
- Newfoundland and Labrador — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Birds Regulations, 2022, Schedule 3, Part 1 (Newfoundland and Labrador) (current to 2026-09-21)
- Nova Scotia — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Birds Regulations, 2022, Schedule 3, Part 3 (Nova Scotia) (current to 2026-09-21)
- Prince Edward Island — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Birds Regulations, 2022, Schedule 3, Part 2 (Prince Edward Island) (current to 2026-09-21)
- Québec — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Birds Regulations, 2022, Schedule 3, Part 5 (Quebec) (current to 2026-09-21)
- Alaska — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2027 Alaska Migratory Game Bird Hunting Regulations
- Connecticut — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2027 CT Migratory Bird Hunting Guide
- Delaware — migratory bird hunting · 2026-27 Delaware Hunting & Trapping Guide: Migratory Bird Seasons & Bag Limits
- Maine — migratory bird hunting · 2026-27 Maine Migratory Game Bird Quick Reference Guide
- Maryland — migratory bird hunting · 2026-27 Maryland Guide to Hunting & Trapping (official guide, linked from dnr.maryland.gov/huntersguide)
- North Carolina — migratory bird hunting · Proclamation: 2026-2027 Migratory Game Bird Hunting Seasons (NCWRC)
- Pennsylvania — migratory bird hunting · 2026-27 Seasons and Bag Limits
- Vermont — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2027 Vermont Migratory Bird Hunting Syllabus
- Virginia — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Game Bird Regulations | Virginia DWR
Being listed is not an open season. Seasons, zones, licences, methods and limits decide whether this animal may be taken on a given day and place — check Hunt or the authority before you go. Listings read 2026-09-30.
Where it is found
Breeds across the Arctic of Alaska and northern Canada; winters mainly in far northern seas, with small numbers south along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts and strays as far as Florida, Louisiana, Kansas and southern California.
Sources
Every claim above is attributed to one of these published sources.
National Audubon Society · reviewed 2026-09-30
National Audubon Society