![]() ![]() Some Iroquois myths associate the feathers of these birds with shapeshifting monsters. San Diego Zoo Penguin Debuts Custom Orthopedic Bootsġ2 Best Cameras for Wildlife Photography (2022) New Study Suggests Albatross Partnerships Less Likely to Succeed With Shy Malesĭrongo Symbolism & Meaning (+Totem, Spirit, & Omens)īustard Symbolism & Meaning (+Totem, Spirit & Omens) So, the Eider represents courage, determination, motherly devotion, sacrifice, and protection. While some will flush off their nests if frightened enough, mother Eiders have been known to stay put to such an extent that researchers can occasionally pick them up without giving chase at all. When approached by potential predators, rather than abandon their young, they lay flat and blanket their nests and young with their own bodies. ![]() Photo by Jongsun Lee on Unsplashįemale Eiders sit on their nests for days on end without food. In addition, this bird can be seen as emblematic of ancient Nordic cultures. So, the Eider can represent cooperation between man and nature, mutual respect, and subsistence. It can take as many as sixty nests to yield enough down for one duvet. Although the down is extremely valuable, farming it is often labor intensive and tedious. At the end of the breeding season, when the birds have moved on from the nests, the farmers collect the leftover down feathers. To this day, a traditional occupation persists in Nordic countries wherein farmers build cozy wooden houses in which Eiders choose to nest. Eiderdown was a staple for Vikings and was even accepted as currency by medieval tax collectors, such was its perceived value. Since ancient times, humans have collected the down from Eider nests and enjoyed the softness and heat that it provides. Within these pockets of air, warmth remains, allowing these down feathers to perfectly insulate Eider nests which must keep eggs and chicks warm even when the ambient temperature is bitterly cold. Eider feathers have a unique structure that, on a microscopic level, includes hooks of soft tendrils that curl back on each other trapping air and making them extremely light. On this pageĮiders are most commonly associated with warmth and luxury. The Eider is hearty, beautiful, and emblematic of the awe-inspiring nature of life in the frigid regions of the Arctic. Making soft warm homes in the unforgiving tundra and spending a life subsisting off of icy northern seas is no easy task. The Eider is a striking animal that carries with it a sense of wild dignity. This coveted “Eiderdown” is used to make quilts and has fostered a close relationship between humans and Eiders. The Eider is known most of all for its luxuriously soft feathers which have been collected by humans for over a thousand years. These birds are distinctive, with uniquely shaped bills which separate them from the ducks which make their homes inland. Eiders are seaducks which spend their lives breeding and migrating along coastal regions in North America and Northern Europe. Native to the cooler regions of the Northern Hemisphere, “Eider” describes three species of duck belonging to a single genus. ![]()
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