The King Eider was spotted off St Combs on Wednesday
A stunning rare bird, hailing from the Arctic, has been spotted in Aberdeenshire.
The beautiful drake King Eider was found off St Combs in Aberdeenshire, on Wednesday.
Described as one of North America’s most spectacular species, the King Eider forms large flocks during spring migration, sometimes exceeding 10,000 individuals, however, this duck appears to have been split from the flock.
The King Eider is only spotted in the UK a handful of times each year
Elsewhere a Ridgway’s Cackling Goose was spotted at Castle Kennedy near Stranraer in Dumfries and Galloway.
The rare goose is native to North America. It breeds in northern Canada and Alaska in a variety of tundra habitats.
Josh Jones of the authoritative Bird Guides said there were only a handful of sightings of both species in the UK each year.
“The goose in particular is rarely seen. We think it has probably attached itself to a flock of barnacle geese and flown over. There will be a number of birders wanting to get a sight of it – though it is not easy to spot among the other geese,” he said.
“The King Eider is a stunning bird and may well be one that has turned up here over the last few years.”
Stunning rare North American bird spotted in Aberdeenshire
