Field Guide for Greenlandic Birds

Male King Eider

http://www.ducks.org/hunting/waterfowl-id/king-eider

Female King Eider

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/King_Eider/id

Scientific:
Somateria spectabilis

Order:
Anseriformes
Family:
Anatidae
Genus:
Somateria

Danish:  Kongeederfugl

Greenlandic:  Kingalik, Meetuk

Length: 18.5-25.2 in (47-64 cm)

Weight: 42.3-74.1 oz (1200-2100 g)

Stein Ø. Nilsen, XC181186. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/181186.

References:

Avibase The World Bird Database (2018).  Somateria spectabilis. Found at https://avibase.bsc-eoc.org/species.jsp?lang=EN&avibaseid=F3D7491432CC59E7

Powell, Abby N. and Robert S. Suydam. 2012. King Eider (Somateria spectabilis), version 2.0. In The Birds of North America (P. G. Rodewald, editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York, USA.

Sibley, David Allen. 2014. The Sibley guide to birds, second edition. Alfred A Knopf, New York.

https://www.birdnote.org/blog/2017/01/long-tailed-duck-little-known-duck-many-secrets

Scientific:
Clangula hyemalis

Order:
Anseriformes
Family:
Anatidae
Genus:
Clangula

English:  Long-tailed Duck, Long-tailed Duck/Oldsquaw, old squaw, Oldsquaw, Old-squaw, South- southerly, southerly old squaw

Danish: Havlit

Greenlandic: Alleq

Length: 15.0-22.8 in (38-58 cm)

Weight: 17.6-38.8 oz (500-1100 g)

Wingspan: 28.4 in (72 cm)

Fun Facts: The species nests both in mountainous regions and in lowlands, often far from the coast. The nests are often placed in colonies of arctic terns, which affords them protection against predators such as the arctic fox, gauchos gull and the arctic skua (parasitic skua).

Also, the Long-tailed Duck is one of the deepest diving ducks, and can dive as deep as 60 meters (200 feet) to forage.

The Long-Tailed Duck is both a Native Breeder and a Native Non Breeder of Greenland.

Stein Ø. Nilsen, XC378342. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/378342.

References:

Avibase The World Bird Database (2018).   Clangula hyemalis. Found at https://avibase.bsc-eoc.org/species.jsp?lang=EN&avibaseid=AF0C7BDEC7CEBAAC

Robertson, Gregory J. and Jean-Pierre L. Savard. 2002. Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis), version 2.0. In The Birds of North America (P. G. Rodewald, editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York, USA.

Sibley, David Allen. 2014. The Sibley guide to birds, second edition. Alfred A Knopf, New York.

http://www.utahbirds.org/birdsofutah/ProfilesD-K/HarlequinDuck.htm

Scientific:
Histrionicus histrionicus

Order:
Anseriformes
Family:
Anatidae
Genus:
Histrioncius

Danish: Strømand

Greenlandic: None

Length: 13.0-21.3 in (33-54 cm)

Weight: 17.6-25.6 oz (500-726 g)

Wingspan: 22.1-26.0 in (56-66 cm)

Fun fact: The Harlequin Ducks nickname is the sea mouse due to it’s mouse sounding chirps.

Ian Cruickshank, XC160185. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/160185

References:

Avibase The World Bird Database (2018)  Histrionicus histrionics.

Dunn, Jon L, and Jonathan Alderfer. Field Guide to Birds of North America. National Geographic, 2000.

Robertson, Gregory J. and R. Ian Goudie. 1999. Harlequin Duck (Histrionicus histrionicus), version 2.0. In The Birds of North America (P. G. Rodewald, editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York, USA.

Sibley, David Allen. 2014. The Sibley guide to birds, second edition. Alfred A Knopf, New York.

https://www.birdzilla.com/bird-identification/

Scientific:
Somateria mollissima

Order:
Anseriformes
Family:
Anatidae
Genus:
Somateria

Danish : Ederfugl

Greenlandic : Miteq siorartooq

Length: 19.7-27.9 in (50-71 cm)

Weight: 41.6-107.2 oz (1180-3040 g)

Fun Fact: Common Eider broods assembles to form a “crèche,” a creche can vary from   a couple to over 150 ducklings.

Background: Common eiders are the largest duck found in the northern hemisphere.  Common Eiders wintering in West Greenland were estimated in 1999 to number around 500,000 birds, but the number has likely risen since then. Common Eiders are widely distributed all across West Greenland, with the largest concentrations in North West Greenland. The Common Eider is also distributed as a breeding bird in Northeast and Southeast Greenland.

Mats Rellmar, XC373764. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/373764.

References :

Aviabase: The World Bird Database (2018). Somateria mollissima. Found at https://avibase.bsc-eoc.org/species.jsp?avibaseid=B77377EEB852D0AF

Merkel, F. Rasmussen, L. Somateria mollissima.Greenlands Institute of Natural Resources. 2016.

Goudie, R. Ian, Gregory J. Robertson and Reed, A. 2000. Common Eider (Somateria mollissima), version 2.0. In The Birds of North America (P. G. Rodewald, editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York, USA.

Sibley, David Allen. 2014. The Sibley guide to birds, second edition. Alfred A Knopf, New York.