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Common Guillemot
(Uria aalge)
: "Common Murre", "Thin-billed Murre"
 German name(s): "Trottellumme"
Size: 38-46 cm, excl. protruding feet; wing span 61-73 cm
Weight: 775-1250 g
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Similar
species |
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Physical description |
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 Click here for a physical description
Common Guillemots are large auks.
Their plumage
is dark brownish-grey and white.
Both sexes look alike and both have identical
breeding
and eclipse
plumage.
During the
breeding
season head, neck, back, most of the wing feathers, and the front
down to the upper chest are all homogeneous dark brownish-grey.
The front, from the lower chest downward to the undertail coverts,
is white. The transition curve between dark and white on the chest
is in the form of a shallow curve with its apex under the throat.
The wings have a white wing bar and there are grey bars down the
flanks.
In eclipse
the parts of the front that are dark brownish-grey in the breeding
season (chin, throat, upper chest) and the sides of the head turn
white. The dark parts turn very dark-grey, losing their brownish hue.
The irises are dark. The long, pointed bill and the legs and feet
are dark-grey.
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See Common Murre
(Guillemot) at Wikipedia  .
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Range, habitat, finding this species |
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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
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The global distribution of the Common Murre (Guillemot) is available
HERE
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There are 7 races of Common Guillemots, which are a vagrant species.
They populate the oceans of the northern hemisphere in a circumpolar
distribution, breeding along the coastlines of all northern continents
and on many northern islands. Their breeding range is concentrated on
the coastlines of Europe, north-western Asia, both the East and West
coast of the American continent and around Alaska, the Aleutian islands
and far-eastern Asia, from far-eastern Siberia, including Sakhalin, to
northern China and Japan. On the American West coast they breed as far
south as California, while in the East they reach the Carolinas.
They are not present along the northern coastline of Canada and along
most of northern Asia.
In Europe the breeding range of Common Guillemots is very extended,
from southern Iberia to Spitsbergen/Svalbard, encompassing the
entire European Atlantic and North Sea coastlines, including
the British Isles and all the northern islands towards Iceland.
They are also found around the Baltic Sea.
Common Guillemots are a marine species that spends most of its
time at sea, coming to shore (cliffs, rocky islands) only to
breed.
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Sightings |
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Click here for sighting information
Race "aalge"
C. Pears found Common Guillemots, nominate race
"aalge",
in Iceland in May 2015.
Race "hyperborea"
M. Eaton reports spotting Common Guillemots, race
"hyperborea",
at Skjervoy, near Tromso, Norway, in June 2018.
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Photos |
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Race "aalge"
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ADULT |
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BREEDING |
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About 10 Common Guillemots in breeding
plumage
on top of an off-shore stack
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Iceland, May 2015]
Overview of a Common Guillemot roost; the white spots indicate where
birds roost
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Iceland, May 2015]
Race "hyperborea"
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ADULT |
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BREEDING |
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Three Common Guillemots in breeding
plumage
on a rock ledge in front of a crevasse
(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
