Eiders () are large
seaducks in the
genus ''Somateria''. The three extant species all breed in the cooler latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere.
The
down feathers of eider ducks, and some other ducks and geese, are used to fill pillows and
quilts—they have given the name to the type of quilt known as an eiderdown.
Taxonomy
The genus ''Somateria '' was introduced in 1819 to accommodate the
king eider by the English zoologist
William Leach in an appendix to
John Ross's account of his voyage to look for the
Northwest Passage.
The name is derived from
Ancient Greek : ''sōma'' "body" (stem ''somat-'') and : ''erion'' "wool", referring to
eiderdown.
(''Polysticta stelleri'') is in a different genus despite its name.
[
]
Species
The genus contains three species.Oligocene
The Oligocene ( ) is a geologic epoch of the Paleogene Period and extends from about 33.9 million to 23 million years before the present ( to ). As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that define the epoch are well identified but the ...
rocks in Kazakhstan and another from the Late Miocene or Early Pliocene of Lee Creek Mine, United States. The former may not actually belong in this genus.
References
External links
{{Taxonbar, from=Q690813
Ducks
