CreatureData

Spectacled eider

Somateria fischeri (J. F. Brandt, 1847)

NTNear Threatenedwaterfowl

The spectacled eider (Somateria fischeri) is a species in the family Anatidae, order Anseriformes. Recorded adults weigh 1.37 kg to 1.6 kg and live up to 18 years. Its IUCN Red List status is Near Threatened.

Spectacled eider (Somateria fischeri)
Photo: ALAN SCHMIERER · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

Quick facts about the spectacled eider

Weight
1.37 kg – 1.6 kgsrc for Weight
Length
Not recorded
Lifespan
18 yearssrc for Lifespan
Diet
Aquatic predatorsrc for Diet
Main food
Not recorded
Habitat
coastalsrc for Habitat
Egg incubation
24 dayssrc for Egg incubation
Young per litter or clutch
4.5src for Young per litter or clutch
Age at maturity
2.49 yearssrc for Age at maturity
Litters or clutches a year
1src for Litters or clutches a year
Lifestyle
Aquaticsrc for Lifestyle
Migration
Partialsrc for Migration
Conservation status
Near Threatened (IUCN)src for Conservation status
Countries on record
Not recorded

Where does the spectacled eider live?

Not recorded

What is the spectacled eider?

Quoted from WikipediaCC BY-SA 4.0

The spectacled eider (pronounced ) (Somateria fischeri) is a large sea duck that breeds on the coasts of Alaska and northeastern Siberia.

The spectacled eider is slightly smaller than the common eider at 52–57 cm (20.5–22.5 in) in length. The male is unmistakable with its black body, white back, and yellow-green head with the large circular white eye patches which give the species its name. The drake's call is a weak crooning, and the female's a harsh croak.

The female is a rich brown bird, but can still be readily distinguished from all ducks except other eider species on size and structure. The paler goggles are visible with a reasonable view and clinch identification. Immature birds and eclipse adult drakes are similar to the female.

The binomial commemorates the German scientist Johann Fischer von Waldheim.

From the Wikipedia article “Spectacled eider” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Spectacled_eider&oldid=1356839838), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.

Is the spectacled eider endangered?

The spectacled eider is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List: it is close to qualifying as threatened.

  1. LCLeast Concern
  2. NTNear Threatened
  3. VUVulnerable
  4. ENEndangered
  5. CRCritically Endangered
  6. EWExtinct in the Wild
  7. EXExtinct

Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Near Threatened species.

How is the spectacled eider classified?

  1. kingdomAnimalia
  2. phylumChordata
  3. classAves
  4. orderAnseriformes
  5. familyAnatidae
  6. genusSomateria
  7. SpeciesSomateria fischeri (J. F. Brandt, 1847)

Synonyms Arctonetta fischeri, Fuligula fischeri, Lampronetta fischeri, Somateria fisheri

Other names and names in other languages (51)
  • Fischer's eiderEnglish
  • عيدر ذو النظارةArabic
  • éider d'antioyosAsturian
  • Очилата гагаBulgarian
  • Eider lunedekBreton
  • Èider d'ulleresCatalan
  • èider de FischerCatalan
  • kajka brýlatáCzech
  • Hwyaden fwythblu sbectologWelsh
  • BrilleederfuglDanish
  • PlüschkopfenteGerman
  • Δακτυλιωτή ΠουπουλόπαπιαGreek
  • okulvitra molanasoEsperanto
  • eider de FischerSpanish
  • eider de anteojosSpanish
  • Éider de anteojosSpanish
  • prillhahkEstonian
  • silmälasihaahkaFinnish
  • Eider à lunettesFrench
  • Lacha lochlannach spéacláireachIrish
  • Laagh Loghlynnagh speckleyraghScottish Gaelic
  • אדרית ממושקפתHebrew
  • pápaszemes pehelyréceHungarian
  • QavaasukInupiaq
  • GleraugnaæðurIcelandic
  • Edredone dagli occhialiItalian
  • メガネケワタガモJapanese
  • akiniuotoji gagaLithuanian
  • briļļu pūkpīleLatvian
  • brileiderDutch
  • brilleærfuglNorwegian Nynorsk
  • edredon okularowyPolish
  • eider-de-lunetasPortuguese
  • êider-de-lunetasPortuguese
  • гага очковаяRussian
  • Фишерова гагаRussian
  • очковая гагаRussian
  • ТурукаанYakut
  • ČalbmehávdaNorthern Sami
  • čalbmeáktaNorthern Sami
  • kajka okuliarnatáSlovak
  • očalasta gagaSlovenian
  • Gavka naočarkaSerbian
  • glasögonejderSwedish
  • gözlüklu puflaTurkish
  • Gözlüklü PuflaTurkish
  • Очкова гагаUkrainian
  • Пухівка очковаUkrainian
  • пухівка ФішераUkrainian
  • 白眶绒鸭Chinese
  • 眼眶絨鴨Chinese

Catalogue of LifeWikipediaiNaturalistWikidataWoRMSIUCN Red List

Relatives of the spectacled eider

Other species in the same genus Somateria.

LC, Least Concern
King eider (Somateria spectabilis)

King eider

Somateria spectabilis

Anatidae

CompareSpectacled eider vs Common eiderSpectacled eider vs King eiderSpectacled eider vs Common eider x king eider

Common questions

Answered only where our data holds the answer.

How big is the spectacled eider?

An adult spectacled eider weighs 1.37 kg – 1.6 kg, according to values recorded on Wikidata.

Is the spectacled eider endangered?

The spectacled eider is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List, meaning it is close to qualifying as threatened.

How long does the spectacled eider live?

The spectacled eider has a recorded lifespan of 18 years.

What kind of animal is the spectacled eider?

The spectacled eider (Somateria fischeri) belongs to the family Anatidae in the order Anseriformes.

Sources and how to cite this page

Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.

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APA

CreatureData. (2026). Spectacled eider (Somateria fischeri). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/spectacled-eider

MLA

“Spectacled eider (Somateria fischeri).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/spectacled-eider.

BibTeX
@misc{spectacled_eider_2026,
  title = {Spectacled eider (Somateria fischeri)},
  author = {{CreatureData}},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/spectacled-eider},
  note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}