|
|
|
Black Guillemot
(Cepphus grylle)
: "Tystie"
 German name(s): "Gryllteiste"
Size: 32-38 cm; wing span 49-58 cm
Weight: 775-1250 g
|
|
|
 |
Physical description |
|
 Click here for a physical description
Black Guillemots are medium-sized auks.
Both sexes look alike and both have identical
breeding
and eclipse
plumage.
During the
breeding
season the plumage
is all-black, except for a large white wing patch.
In eclipse
only the wings remain black, with their white wing patch, while
everything else changes drastically. Except for a light-grey cap,
a dark-grey loral patch, a light-grey neck and barred-grey
back, tail and upperwing coverts, the rest of the body
plumage
turns white.
The irises are dark.
The bill is black, while the legs and feet are bright scarlet.
|
 |
Taxonomy, classification |
|
See Black
Guillemot at Wikipedia  .
|
|
 |
Range, habitat, finding this species |
|
Click here for information on habitat
and range
The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and
specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found,
based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to
ebird.org
.
The global distribution of the Black Guillemot is available
HERE
.
There are 5 races of Black Guillemots which, taken all together,
populate the northern oceans from the Barents Sea,
via the coastline of the North American continent, Greenland and
Iceland to Europe, including the coastline of far north-western
European Russia.
In North America their breeding range extends from around Alaska
and the far-eastern tip of Siberia via the northern islands of
Canada to the West coast as far south as Maine.
They also breed around roughly the southern half of Greenland and
all around Iceland.
In Europe Black Guillemots breed along all northern coastlines
to a southern boundary along a line connecting northern
Wales with southern Denmark and the South coast of Finland.
Their breeding range includes Ireland and all islands
around Scotland towards Iceland, the rocky parts of the
Atlantic coastline coastline of Norway and of the
northern Baltic Sea, plus both sides of the Kola peninsula.
They have a stronghold on Svalbard/Spitsbergen.
Outside the breeding season they are in open waters around
the areas where they breed, but staying within a few hundred
km of the coastlines, not venturing out everywhere throughout
the northern Atlantic or the North Sea. Outside the breeding
season they are in the southern Baltic Sea, migrating back
northwards for the breeding season.
Black Guillemots are a marine species that spends much of its
life in open water and comes to rocky coasts and islands only
to breed.
|
 |
Sightings |
|
Click here for sighting information
Race "mandtii"
M. Eaton reports spotting Black Guillemots, race
"mandtii",
at Skjervoy, near Tromso, Norway, in June 2018.
All sighting and photographic information presented on this
page has kindly been contributed by M. Eaton.
|
 |
Photos |
|
Race "mandtii"
 |
ADULT |
|
 |
BREEDING |
|
Near-frontal view of a Black Guillemot in breeding
plumage;
note the characteristic scarlet feet
(photo courtesy
of M. Eaton)
[Skjervoy, near Tromso, Norway, June 2018]
Near-lateral view of three Black Guillemot in breeding
plumage
resting on a rock ledge
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Skjervoy, near Tromso, Norway, June 2018]
Lateral view of a Black Guillemot in breeding
plumage
looking towards the observer; note the characteristic
scarlet feet
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Skjervoy, near Tromso, Norway, June 2018]
Lateral view of a Black Guillemot in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Skjervoy, near Tromso, Norway, June 2018]
Lateral view of a Black Guillemot in breeding
plumage
in flight, with a clear view of its underwings
(photo
courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Skjervoy, near Tromso, Norway, June 2018]
Near-dorsal view of three Black Guillemot in breeding
plumage
in flight, with a clear view of their upperwings
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Skjervoy, near Tromso, Norway, June 2018]
These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our
contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species
please refer to a field guide.
Breeding
Nest
Eggs
Behaviour
Food
Call/s
