Common Murre

3 weeks ago door Lisa Duggan

Points: 45

Spotted

A widespread and familiar North Atlantic and Pacific seabird, the Common Guillemot (or Common Murre) is a sleek, black and white diving bird. It forms dense breeding colonies on cliff ledges, often alongside other auk species.

Where to spot

Inhabits temperate and sub-Arctic coasts of the North Atlantic and North Pacific Oceans. They breed on cliffs and rocky islands and winter largely offshore in temperate waters.

How to spot

Look for its slender, pointed bill (lacking the white stripe of Brünnich's Guillemot), dark head and back, and clean white belly. Observe its upright posture on land and its powerful underwater propulsion using its wings.

When to spot

The breeding season from late spring to summer is the best time to see them at their cliff colonies. Otherwise, they are pelagic and can be observed from coastal vantage points or offshore on boat trips.

Where to spot

Inhabits temperate and sub-Arctic coasts of the North Atlantic and North Pacific Oceans. They breed on cliffs and rocky islands and winter largely offshore in temperate waters.

How to spot

When to spot

Credits: Ulrich Latzenhofer

Credits: Door Martin Mecnarowski (http://www.photomecan.eu/) - Eigen werk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12692064

Common Guillemots lay uniquely pear-shaped eggs that are highly resistant to rolling off the narrow cliff ledges where they nest, a crucial adaptation for their cliff-nesting lifestyle.

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