Famous Eider Colony

A particularly notable group of Common Eiders is the colony on the Farne Islands in Northumberland, Britain. These eider ducks were the focus of the first ever bird protection laws ushered in by Saint Cuthbert in the year 676 A.D. Nearly 1,000 eider birds continue to nest on these islands every year. As St. Cuthbert is the patron saint of Northumberland, it was rather fitting that the Eider should be deemed the country's emblem bird species. Furthermore, Eiders are still frequently referred to as Cuddy's ducks in the region--"Cuddy" being the idiomatic form of Cuthbert.