You may not know this, but this duck is the start of a traditional Eiderdown. Now largely replaced by the more modern duvet, Eiderdown were a very warm and cosy bed cover. They owed their lightness and warmth to the fact that they were stuffed with the downy feathers of the Eider Duck
However, don't worry as no ducks were harmed during this process. When Eider Ducks breed they build a nest and pluck their breast feathers off and line their nest with them to help keep their eggs and ducklings warm and comfy.
When the ducklings leave the nest then the feathery down is harvested and used in the manufacture of Eiderdowns. The need to use natural down from wild birds and the labour involved, means real traditional Eiderdowns are now very expensive, I have seen a figure of £6,000 mentioned.
