Duck, duck. duck, duck, duck... Apr 23, 2020

Duck, duck. duck, duck, duck...

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.

© Pal Hermansen/Minden Pictures

palette

Today in History

Apr 23, 2018National Park Week: Haleakalā National Park, Hawaii
Apr 23, 2019A legend and a legendary home
Apr 23, 2021A house of grand scale(s)
Apr 23, 2022World Book Day
Apr 23, 2023World Book Day
Apr 23, 2024World Book Day
Apr 23, 2025Shakespeare Day
Apr 23, 2026Shakespeare Day

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Oct 16, 2022Prince Christian Sound in southern Greenland
Mar 30, 2019Here’s why landmarks are going dark
Apr 25, 2020Rockin with the rockhoppers
Jun 28, 2026Saguaro cacti, Windgate Pass, McDowell Range, Arizona
Nov 24, 2019Autumn in the cypress swamp
May 22, 2026International Day for Biological Diversity
May 18, 2021International Museum Day
Oct 25, 2022 Park of the Monsters, Bomarzo, Italy
Jul 13, 2023International Rock Day
Apr 8, 2022Ponta Delgada
Feb 28, 2025Tibetan New Year
Jun 6, 2022Indigo bunting
Oct 13, 2020Where can you find a red fox?
Aug 13, 2021Fight for your lefts
Feb 22, 2026Mam Tor, Derbyshire, England
Nov 12, 2025Colosseum, Rome, Italy
Nov 26, 2023Fallow deer, Bradgate Park, Leicestershire, England
Apr 5, 2025Gaztelugatxe at sunset, Basque Country, Spain
Apr 25, 2025World Penguin Day
Jun 6, 2018Feature Attraction: 85 years at the drive-in
Jun 18, 2026Aerial view of the ruins of Sacsayhuamán, Cusco, Peru
Sep 21, 2023International Day of Peace
Jul 23, 2025Vatican City with St. Peters Basilica
Jan 10, 2025Abraham Lake, Alberta, Canada
Jun 27, 2024Duomo Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence
Jul 20, 2021Fly me to the moon
Apr 7, 2025Happy International Beaver Day!
May 17, 2024Endangered Species Day
May 25, 2026Memorial Day
Mar 11, 2026Peach trees in Cieza, Murcia, Spain