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
More Desktop Wallpapers:
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Marine Day in Japan
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Sligachan Old Bridge, Isle of Skye, Scotland
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The ruins of a Maya superpower
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It’s surströmming time
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Waiting for the perfect shot
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Ravens
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Hooray, hooray, it s Unicorn Day!
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Feel the spray in Monterey
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Hidden beauty in Thailand
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It’s Art Deco Weekend in Miami
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Mountain goats
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Sunrise at Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
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Cousins Day
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A circular celebration
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Okavango Delta, Botswana
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Think deep thoughts
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It s Slovenia s Independence and Unity Day
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Bald cypress trees in Georgia
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What s better than a smile?
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Celebrating the Day of the Dead
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Fall Astronomy Week
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Bavarian Forest National Park, Germany
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Amber Fort, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
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Sea fireflies at the seashore
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Lake Tai s cherry trees in bloom
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Sea lion in a kelp forest, Baja California, Mexico
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Happy birthday, Capitol Reef National Park
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Ukrainian Independence Day
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Oud-West, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Gone ‘lightseeing’ in Berlin