ML37019481
Contributor
Date
Location
- Age
- Not specified
- Sex
- Not specified
Media notes
Both male (top) and female (bottom) King Eiders are shown here. (We can know that both of these individuals are King, not Common, Eiders on account of photo discussion herein in connection with Common Eider). Here discussion will focus on how we can know the sex of both individuals, based on these photos. The upper bird is the male, for only males of this species can show substantial areas of white on the breast (although eclipse males do not show white there). In sum, an individual of this species is definitely a male if it shows substantial white on the breast, although males in eclipse do not show this. Beyond the discussion herein of differentiating Common and King Eiders (in association with my photos of Common Eider), the present photo, which is of King Eiders, prompts me to mention an additional differentiating characteristic with regard to those two species. In this photo (ML37019481), please note that both the male and the female evince a dark gape line that is made conspicuous by its crossing a very light area at the base of the bill. This is not the case in Common Eider, and this is vividly shown on Photo ML37017061 (under discussion of Common Eider).
Technical information
- Model
- Canon EOS 10D
- ISO
- 800
- Focal length
- 300 mm
- Flash
- Flash did not fire
- f-stop
- f/11.0
- Shutter speed
- 1/1000 sec
- Dimensions
- 1996 pixels x 1331 pixels
- Original file size
- 545.58 KB