The Spectacled Eider is a one tough duck: it lives and breeds in Alaska, its only migratory movements being over the tundra, (where it breeds) to the distinctly chilly Bering Sea in search of benthic (bottom dwelling) aquatic food species. These ducks will dive some 60-70m in the icy cold ocean for creatures such as worms and clams. The Spectacled Eider overwinters "in" the Bering Sea as such; large flocks of birds settle on ice sheets which surround an open area of ocean (called polynyas) which is used as the "hunting" grounds for food.
This unusual bird species has come under the spotlight as global warming, and its effect on the rich food source found in the Artic seas being affected by warming oceans, is being monitored and studied by scientific organisations. http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/worldonthemove/species/

Photo: USFWS

Photo: Greg Balogh, USFWS

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