When king eider males line up in a dandy display like this, it"s likely because they"re courting a hen (or what birders call a "queen eider"). These colorful drakes aren"t your regular ducks. They"re sea ducks, a group that includes several large duck species that feed off the coast in salt water. As you can see, male king eiders have striking multicolored plumage and yellowish knobs above their bills that are said to resemble crowns. They, and the less-ornate brown females, make their home in the frigid waters along the Arctic coasts of northern Europe, North America, and Asia.
Duck, duck. duck, duck, duck...
Today in History
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Aw shucks, It s Oyster Day
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My my, it s Syttende Mai
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Pont Alexandre III, Paris, France
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Autumn in Alaska
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Black History Month
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International Whale Shark Day
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Where the glow of the holidays lingers
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From Sputnik to extraterrestrial storms
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Mada’in Saleh archeological site in Saudi Arabia
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For the love of bikes
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The first ascent
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Swimming with the sea cows
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Aqueduct, Arkadia Park, Poland
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A ‘Superior’ paddle
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Green fields of grain
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Monet still makes an impression
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Longer days mean warmer sand
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Hey neighbor, it s World Space Week!
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Bioluminescence at Trwyn Du Lighthouse in Wales
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State funeral of Queen Elizabeth II
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A place fit for the gods
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A triumph of light
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Ode to the sun
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Humpbacks return to the Inside Passage
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World Rainforest Day
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Why’s it called a spelling ‘bee,’ anyhow?
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Lake Tai s cherry trees in bloom
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Cloudy with a chance of enlightenment
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New beginnings
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Hello, harbinger of spring