Steller's Eider

Polysticta stelleri (Pallas, 1769) (5, 11)

Photo © By Ron Knight from Seaford, East Sussex, United Kingdom - Steller's Eider (Polysticta stelleri), CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32940128

STATUS

Siberia and Alaska. Monotypic.

OVERVIEW

Since the long stayers in Orkney and Outer Hebrides during the 1970s and 80s it has become rare again with one individual in each of the last four decades.

---

BBRC RECORDS

1). 1830 Norfolk Caister-on-Sea, sub-adult male, shot, 9th February, now at Castle Museum, Norwich (Acc. No. NWHCM: 1831.47).

("Norfolk Chronicle" 20th Feb., 1830; W. Yarrell, Loudon's Magazine of Natural History 4: 117; Paget & Paget, 1834; Jenyns, 1835; Macgillivray, 1837-52; Yarrell, 1845; J. H. Gurney & W. R. Fisher, Zoologist 1846: 1378; A. Newton, Transactions of the Norfolk & Norwich Naturalists' Society 2: 409-410, 411, 412; Yarrell, 1871-85; Seebohm, 1883-85; Southwell, 1890; Patterson, 1905; BOU, 1915; Palmer, 2000).

2). 1845 Yorkshire Filey Brigg, male, shot, 15th August.

(Yarrell, 1845; R. J. Bell, Zoologist 1846: 1249; Newman, 1866; Clarke & Roebuck, 1881; Yarrell, 1871-85; Seebohm, 1883-85; Nelson, 1907; Witherby, 1920-24; Mather, 1986).

3). 1947 Orkney Wide Firth, Gairsay, two: adult male and immature male, 5th, 12th and 19th January.

(G. Arthur, British Birds 40: 253; Baxter & Rintoul, 1953; Forrester & Andrews et al., 2007).

5). 1949 Orkney Sandside Bay, Deerness, Mainland, male, 13th November.

(G. Arthur, Scottish Naturalist 62: 57-58; Booth, Cuthbert & Reynolds, 1984; Forrester & Andrews et al., 2007).

6). 1959 Highland Loch Fleet, Sutherland, female or immature male, 22nd September.

(G. A. Pyman and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 54: 177; P. Glazier, D. Jenkins, J. Robertson-Justice & A. Watson, Scottish Birds 1: 234-235; J. W. Campbell, Scottish Birds 1: 443).

7). 1970 North-east Scotland Rattray Head, Aberdeenshire, male, 8th November.

(F. R. Smith and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 64: 347; M. R. Williams, Scottish Birds 6: 444).

8). 1971 Fair Isle Furse and South Haven, female, 9th May to 13th June, photo.

(F. R. Smith and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 65: 329, plate 50; Fair Isle Bird Observatory Report 1971: plate 1; Scottish Bird Report 1971: plate 11a).

9.00). 1972 Outer Hebrides Vorran Island, South Uist, male, May to August; same, Dremisdale, 22nd November to 31st December.

(F. R. Smith and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 66: 338; J. M. O'Sullivan, Scottish Birds 7: 202-203).

9.01). 1973 Outer Hebrides South Uist, male, 1st January to 31st December, photo; presumed returning individual of 1972.

(F. R. Smith and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 67: 317, plate 48).

9.02). 1974 Outer Hebrides Vorran Island, South Uist, male, 1st January to 31st December; presumed returning individual of 1972.

(F. R. Smith and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 67: 317; F. R. Smith and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 68: 313).

10). 1974 Outer Hebrides Vorran Island, South Uist, two, females, 13th April.

(F. R. Smith and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 68: 313).

12.0). 1974 Orkney Westray, immature male, 25th October to 14th November.

(F. R. Smith and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 68: 313).

9.03). 1975 Outer Hebrides South Uist, male, all summer; presumed returning individual of 1972.

(J. N. Dymond and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 69: 331).

13). 1976 Orkney North Ronaldsay, female, 16th to 17th April.

(J. O'Sullivan and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 70: 417).

9.04). 1976 Outer Hebrides South Uist, male, present in summer; presumed returning individual of 1972.

(J. N. Dymond and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 69: 331; J. O'Sullivan and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 70: 418).

9.05). 1977 Outer Hebrides South Uist, male, present in summer; presumed returning individual of 1972.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 71: 495).

12.1). 1978 Orkney Between Westray and Papa Westray, male, 14th July; same as 1974.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 74: 464).

9.06). 1978 Outer Hebrides Vorran Island, South Uist, male, present in summer; presumed returning individual of 1972.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 72: 516).

9.07). 1979 Outer Hebrides Vorran Island, South Uist, male, 27th to 28th February; presumed returning individual of 1972.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 73: 501).

12.2). 1979 Orkney Papa Westray, male, 2nd to 19th June; same as 1974.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 73: 501).

9.08). 1980 Outer Hebrides Vorran Island, South Uist, male, throughout the year; presumed returning individual of 1972.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 74: 464).

12.3). 1980 Orkney North Wick, Papa Westray, male, 29th April to late August; same as 1974, 1978-1979 individual.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 74: 464).

9.09). 1981 Outer Hebrides Peninerine, South Uist, male, present throughout year to 31st October; presumed returning individual of 1972.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 75: 495).

12.4). 1981 Orkney Papa Westray and Westray, male, 7th May to 24th June; presumed returning individual.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 75: 495).

9.10). 1982 Outer Hebrides Ardvule, South Uist, male, present all year; same as 1974, 1978-81 individual.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 76: 488).

12.5). 1982 Orkney Papa Westray, male, 30th April to 1st July; same as 1974, 1978-82 individual.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 76: 488).

9.11). 1983 Outer Hebrides Vorran Island, South Uist, male, throughout the year, photo; presumed returning individual of 1972.

(D. M. Cottridge, British Birds 76: plate 171; M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 77: 516; Forrester & Andrews et al., 2007: photo).

9.12). 1984 Outer Hebrides Vorran Island, South Uist, male, first seen 1972 last seen 12th August.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 78: 539).

14). 1996 Shetland Tresta, Fetlar, male, wing only found on tideline, 31st March.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 90: 465).

15). 2000 Moray & Nairn Hopeman, female, 16th to 18th November, photo.

(D. Pullan, Birding World 13 (11): 458-459, photos; Birding World 13 (12): 484, photo; D. Pullan, Birding Scotland 4 (1): 36-38, plates 17-22; M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 94: 466, plate 27; Moray & Nairn Bird Report 2000: 97-98).

16). 2019 Orkney Loch of Swartmill, Westray, 1CY, male, 29th to 30th October, photo; presumed same, Westray and Papa Westray, 1CY, male, 6th November to 25th January 2020, photo.

(D. Otter, Scottish Birds 40: 276-277, plates 199-201; British Birds 112: plate 398; C. Holt, P. French and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 113: 592, plate 343; C. Holt, P. French and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 114: 575).