Eider (Somateria mollissima)Where and when to see it in the UK
Resident · reporting peaks June · Ducks, Swans, and Geese · BOU category AF
Peak months
Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (grid squares, place names from OS Open Names). Northern Ireland place names: OSNI Open Data, OGL v3.0. County and country boundaries: Office for National Statistics, Open Government Licence v3.0. Coastline: Natural Earth. Bird records from the data partners listed here.
Eider has been recorded in 995 of the 2,971 10 km squares covering UK land (33%) in records to 2026. Resident in the UK. Its strongest squares are in Scotland, England and Wales. Reporting peaks in June.
Conservation status: Near Threatened (IUCN Red List, NT)
View on the IUCN Red List- Very high
- 44% or more of visits
- High
- 18% to 44%
- Moderate
- 5% to 18%
- Low
- under 5%
- Surveyed, not recorded
- at least 20 qualifying visits, no record
- Insufficient records
- too few visits to say
- Lighter fill
- Few visits, lower confidence
- Small dot
- Occasional: a single record, or out of season
Relative to this species' best squares (how classes are calculated)
Seasonality
| Month | Relative to peak | Share of visits | Typical class |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 64% | 3% | Very high |
| February | 68% | 3% | Very high |
| March | 65% | 3% | Very high |
| April | 66% | 3% | Very high |
| May | 85% | 4% | Very high |
| June | 100% | 5% | High |
| July | 84% | 4% | Very high |
| August | 76% | 4% | Very high |
| September | 85% | 4% | Very high |
| October | 89% | 4% | Very high |
| November | 79% | 4% | Very high |
| December | 68% | 3% | Very high |
Squares with the highest reporting rate in June
| Square | Where | Share of visits | Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| D30 | Mid and East Antrim, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| HT94 | Shetland Islands, Scotland | 100% | Very high |
| HU55 | Shetland Islands, Scotland | 100% | Very high |
| HY33 | Orkney Islands, Scotland | 100% | Very high |
| HY61 | Sea, off Orkney Islands | 100% | Very high |
| HY73 | Orkney Islands, Scotland | 100% | Very high |
| HZ16 | Sea, off Shetland Islands | 100% | Very high |
| J38 | Antrim and Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| J55 | Newry, Mourne and Down, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| NA92 | Na h-Eileanan Siar, Scotland | 100% | Very high |