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Harvey Barrison   cc-by-nc-sa

Somateria mollissima (Common Eider) is a species of birds in the family Anatidae. They are listed as near threatened by IUCN. They are associated with freshwater habitat. They are native to the Palearctic and The Nearctic. They are diurnal carnivores. Individuals can grow to 108 cm. They have parental care (female provides care). They rely on drag powered swimming and flight to move around.

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  • URI: https://eol.org/schema/terms/drag_based_swimming
  • Definition: Drag swimmers use a cyclic motion where they push water back in a power stroke, and return their limb forward in the return or recovery stroke. When they push water directly backwards, this moves their body forward, but as they return their limbs to the starting position, they push water forward, which will thus pull them back to some degree, and so opposes the direction that the body is heading. This opposing force is called drag. The return-stroke drag causes drag swimmers to employ different strategies than lift swimmers. Reducing drag on the return stroke is essential for optimizing efficiency.
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EOL has data for 50 attributes, including:

Known occurrences, collected specimens and observations of Common Eider. View this species on GBIF