Small colonies are found in the Kodiak harbor and along Homer Spit. Common eiders nest near driftwood or clumps of grass on barrier islands, sandy beaches, and on islands in tundra ponds, often in association with gull colonies. They nest later than most other ducks, usually after sea ice has melted, preventing predator access to the colony. The male leaves shortly after the 28-day incubation period begins. One to seven pale olive green eggs are laid.
Most common eiders winter in the Bering Sea and the Aleutian Islands.
Pacific common eiders are portrayed on the 2000 Alaska duck stamp . They are identified from other male eiders by the red bill and large orange frontal lobe extending from the bill up to the forehead. While the king eider has a white chest like the common eider, kings have black backs. Female king eiders have much less feathering along the sides of the bill than common eiders, but forehead plumage extends part way down the top of the bill. By late July the male king eider begins to lose his breeding plumage, and the spectacular frontal shield shrinks and becomes dull in color.