Related Links

• Did you know the wetlands ducks call home are disappearing? Learn how you can help conserve wetlands for waterfowl, other wildlife and people to enjoy!
• How do wetlands work?
• More ducks and other wetland wildlife!
• Top 10 Wetland Facts
• Migration Maps

 

You're a Common eider!

You were banded one spring by Ducks Unlimited Canada scientists at Table Bay, near Cartwright, Labrador.

Here, your mom laid you and five other green eggs in a soft, feather-filled nest on the ground near the ocean. She guarded you closely, and didn’t even eat until you hatched. In fact, your mom lost almost half her weight during this time!

Soon after, your “aunt” and other female common eiders joined your family, helping your mom protect you from predators like large ravens. By mid summer, you learned how to dive deep into the ocean to find your favourite foods: clams, scallops and crabs.

In the fall you and your family migrated a short distance south to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia to spend the winter.

Download certificate!

Download a customized certificate (PDF, 1.3 MB) with your name to show your friends and family!

Banding or marking ducks helps scientists learn more about them and what they need to survive. Protec ting wetlands is one way to help ducks.

Fast Facts:

• largest duck in North America
• nests in colonies close to many other eiders
• eats prickly sea urchins and other small sea life
• people collect the fluffy down feathers from nests after the eggs hatch and use them to make warm parkas, pillows and quilts
• the eider was almost extinct 125 years ago and needs our help to keep its population healthy.