Eider Duck

This beautiful seaduck is a widely distributed breeding species around Scotland's shores, and nests in nationally important numbers in north-east Scotland. Outside the breeding season, it is mainly found in sheltered coastal waters, sometimes in flocks several hundreds strong.

Mink, foxes and disturbance by dog-walkers are all problems faced by nesting eiders in Scotland, and the fondness of this species for shellfish has sometimes brought them into conflict with mussel farmers.