Somateria mollissima - The common eider duck has developed specialized glands to allow the bird to drink salt water; this is a common feature amongst sea ducks. The eider duck is found in the northern hemisphere. It is a large duck, measuring 50 to 70 centimeters in length and weighing .8 to 3 kilos. It is an exceptionally flyer, able to reach speeds of 113 km/h. Eider ducks feed by diving below the surface and searching the bottom for crustaceans and mollusks, its preferred food.
- - - - -
Finland became part of the Swedish Kingdom in 1249. It suffered the misfortune of serving as a buffer zone and occasional battlefield in the many conflicts between the Swedish and Russian Empires. In 1809, with the conclusion of the Finnish War, the last conflict fought between Russia and Sweden, Finland was occupied and absorbed into Russia. Finland remained under Imperial Russian control until the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. Finnish independence was officially recognized by Russia in 1918.
