Common Guillemot
NameCommon Guillemot
Common NameCommon Murre
Scientific NameUria aalge
FamilyAlcidae
Wingspan (cm)67.5
Length (cm)42
Weight (g)1025
Plumage DetailsAdults have dark brown to black upperparts, head, and neck, contrasting sharply with pure white underparts. The flanks often show dark streaking. The bill is thin and pointed, black. Some individuals exhibit a 'bridled' morph with a white eye-ring and a white line extending behind the eye.
Vocalization / CallVocalizations are typically guttural growls, grunts, and rumbles, especially at breeding colonies. They can also produce a low 'arrr' sound.
Primary Dietpiscivore
Primary Habitatscoastal cliffs, open ocean, rocky islands
Conservation Statusleast-concern
Geographic RangeBreeds in temperate and boreal regions of the North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans, including coasts of North America, Europe, and Asia. Winters mainly at sea, often near breeding grounds but can disperse widely.
Identifying Featuresblack and white plumage, slender, pointed black bill, upright posture on land, webbed feet, diving behavior, colonial nesting on cliffs
Description
A large, slender-billed seabird with striking black and white plumage, adapted for diving. They spend most of their lives at sea, coming to land only to breed on steep coastal cliffs.
