The Common Eider, a large sea duck, is more closely tied to marine environments than are manyother sea ducks. On the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska this species nests primarily on barrierislands and peninsulas of the Arctic Coastal Plain (a small proportion of the total area) while inother parts of its range they select quite varied nesting sites (Goudie et al. 2000). Common eidersdepend on a marine prey base, eating invertebrates (primarily mollusks and crustaceans) bydiving to the sea floor. Alaskan breeders spend their winters nearby in the Bering Sea, Gulf ofAlaska, and off Russia’s Chukotka Peninsula (SDJV 2004). Current Arctic Coastal Plainpopulation is estimated at approximately 2,000 (Dau and Bollinger 2009).
