Numbers and Seasonal Distribution of the Western Population of the King Eider ( Somateria spectabilis ): Monitoring Organization in the Northern Seas of Russia

The molting and wintering areas of the western King eider population ( Somateria spectabilis ) in the Barents, White, and Kara seas are described based on our own observations and relevant reports in the literature; schematic maps show bird gathering areas in these periods. The data on counts of wintering and molting birds, their age, and sex composition in the Russian part of the distribution range are provided. Six to ten thousand birds of this species wintered on the White Sea and in the southern part of the Barents Sea in 1994–2009. In the winter of 2009, males were obviously predominant (70.2%); immature individuals accounted for 2.6%. The highest concentrations of King eiders were recorded in the southeastern part of the Barents Sea during molting. The total number of molting King eiders in this area was 18 000 to 20 000 individuals. We estimated the total size of the western King eider population in the Barents Sea region. Discarding the birds that winter near the coasts of Novaya Zemlya, this indicator may range from 80 000 to 110 000 individuals. Factors that influence the distribution of birds during particular seasons and their movements within the range are shown. To further advance King eider monitoring, we suggest suitable parts of water areas and adequate approaches to bird counting.