Ducks are often considered low-ability animals, with seemingly limited survival skills beyond swimming. However, perhaps due to environmental constraints, the Arctic eider duck appears to be quite intelligent.
Eider ducks are large and plump, with a fluffy appearance, a result of their Arctic environment. In spring, male eider ducks are covered in distinct black and white plumage, while female eider ducks are mostly brown.
Every late summer, the islands in the Arctic region are surrounded by water, making it difficult for Arctic foxes and other marine animals to reach them. At this time, eider ducks begin to nest and breed on the islands, usually building their nests under driftwood or a clump of seaweed for shelter from the wind. Female eider ducks lay 1 to 10 eggs per clutch (averaging 5).
Surprisingly, the eider duck's nesting area is very close to the nest of a type of gull, which is not a friendly place to live and is a predator of eider duck eggs and chicks. So why do the eider ducks still prefer to live next to this gull? It turns out that the eider ducks use the gull's presence to drive away their more powerful enemies, such as skuas and Arctic foxes. This allows the gull to protect its own nesting area while also protecting the eider ducks. This practice of sacrificing local interests for greater benefits is indeed very clever.
