The formerly common eider is now endangered
The hollow “a-UO-auuo” calls of male eiders in the spring and the tireless squawking of female eiders on summer mornings as they shepherd their young are some of the most beloved sounds of the archipelago for many Finns. Unfortunately, the formerly highly common eider is not doing very well these days: in the 2019 assessment of threatened species, the eider was classified as an endangered species. The most common diving duck found in Finland, the eider has practically disappeared from the outer islets of the Finnish Archipelago Sea, in addition to which the inner archipelago population is also slowly declining.
The reasons why the eider has become endangered and even the development of its conservation status vary in different parts of the Finnish coast. The primary reason why eiders have disappeared from the outer islets of the Finnish Archipelago Sea seems to be increasing predation pressure from white-tailed eagles, which is directed particularly at the productive part of the population, meaning mature females.
There are still some breeding eiders nesting on the forested islets surrounding Ruissalo, however. Hopefully this beautiful and sympathetic species will continue to be part of the range of bird species found on the shores of Ruissalo in the future as well.
