Eider populations

WeBS treatment of Eider populations:

  • Reports to winter 2007/08 - Eider - with no differentiation of populations.
  • Reports for winters 2008/09 to 2010/11 - Eider (Shetland population) & Eider (UK excluding Shetland).
  • Reports from winter 2011/12 onwards - Eider (Shetland), Eider (UK excluding Shetland) & 'generic' Eider.

Detail:

Following the recommendations of Scott & Rose (1996) and Furness et al. (2010), since the WeBS report for winter 2008/09 (Calbrade et al. 2009), Common Eiders Somateria mollissima on Shetland have been treated as a separate population from those elsewhere in the UK.  However, the taxonomic recommendation of Furness et al. (2010) has not been followed since the BOU has yet to recognise this population as belonging to the subspecies faeroensis.

WeBS allocation of populations for reporting purposes:

  • Eider (Shetland) (from winter 2008/09):  All records of Eider from Shetland.
  • Eider (except Shetland) (from winter 2008/09 onwards): All records other than from Shetland.
  • Eider (from 2010/11): All records of Eider.

References:

Calbrade, N.A., Holt, C.A., Austin, G.E., Mellan, H.J., Hearn, R.D. Stroud, D.A. Wotton, S.R. & Musgrove, A.J. 2010.  Waterbirds in the UK 2008/09: The Wetland Bird Survey. BTO/RSPB/JNCC in association with WWT, Thetford.

Furness, R.W., Mable, B., Savouy, F., Griffiths, K., Baillie, S.R. & Heubeck, M. 2010. Subspecies status of common eiders Somateria mollissima in Shetland based on morphology and DNA. Bird Study 57: 330-335.

Scott, D.A. & Rose, P.M. 1996.  Atlas of Anatidae populations in Africa and western Eurasia. Wetlands international Publication No. 41, Wageningen.

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