Game Birds of the World

This smallest of the eiders has a range only slightly greater than that of the spectacled eider, and both are mostly centered around the Bering Sea. In this species wintering is known to occur along the Kamchatka Peninsula as well as the Aleutian Islands, with birds also occasionally moving east to winter along the coasts of Scandinavia. The male in breeding plumage can be easily recognized by its mostly white head, tawny-rufous breast, and unique iridescent striping along the back produced by ornamental scapulars. It also has a strange black spot on each side of the breast, a black neck-stripe, and black edging around the eyes and greenish nape. The female is a dark, chunky duck; in common with the male, it has bluish and white-edged iridescent speculum patterns. Males in nonbreeding plumage are somewhat more dusky-toned than the females.

Steller's eiders are gregarious birds, and during social display in spring engage in active courtship. One of the most spectacular of the male's displays is called rearing, and consists of a sudden, silent throwing back of the entire body in the water, momentarily exposing the brownish underparts, and just as quickly dropping back and hiding them. Nests are built along coastal tundra, and clutches of six to eight eggs are typical. No doubt the female undertakes the incubation, as males gather and fly to molting areas near the tip of the Alaskan Peninsula. Little is known of the later stages of the breeding cycle, but the incubation period of the clutch is about 26–27 days, and an approximate 50-day fledging period is probable.