Eider Ducks in Iceland Has Most Expensive Feather in the World
VIVA – Every summer, hundreds of hunters roam the small, isolated island in Breizafjorzur Bay of Iceland looking for a treasure such as the most expensive feathers in the world. The hunt for the most valuable fur in the world has been held almost every year.
Many people already know that Eiderdown or Eider polar duck fleece is one of the natural fibers used to make the best blankets. One kilogram of Eiderdown sells for thousands of dollars.
Eider ducks release the precious ones from their chests and use them to line the nest. This nest will protect them during the hatching process. Well, the hunters are searching for the nests.
One of the exporters in the country, Erla Fridriksdottir, said that the hunters only took part of the nest when the Eider duck came out of the nest, as quoted from the Odditycentral page.
Eiderdown is not only mild but also very rare. With an annual global output of fewer than four tons, three-quarters of it come from Iceland.
The average Eiderdown hunter must find about 60 duck nests, to collect one kilogram of ducks. Eiderdown also has to pass stringent quality checks to make cuts, which also has an impact on prices.
"You should be able to pick up a 40–50-gram packet between two fingers and if it stays intact and doesn't fall off then the bottom quality is good," an eiderdown inspector remarked.
Interestingly, Eiderdown is one of the few downs that is actively hunted and harvested, the others being a by-product of the food industry. This makes it a favorite of nature and animal lovers, but few can afford Eiderdown products, as a blanket containing 800 grams of fur costs over $5,000.