From Opus

Photo by johnmoonie
Farne Islands, Northumberland, June 2006

Alca torda

[edit] Identification

L. 38-43 cm
W. 60-69 cm

[edit] Adult Breeding

• Black upperparts
• White breast and belly
• Thick, black bill with blunt end
• White stripes on bill
• White line from eye to base of the bill
• Long, pointed tail

[edit] Non-breeding

• Black face becomes white

Non-breeding
Photo by Digiscoper321
West Sweden, November 2005

[edit] Similar Species

Common Guillemot, which has a long pointed bill.

[edit] Distribution

Northern Atlantic coasts, in eastern North America as far south as Maine, and in western Europe from northwestern Russia to northern France.

[edit] Taxonomy

Two subspecies are recognized:^[1]

• A. t. torda - Northeast North America, Scandinavia to Murmansk and White Sea
• A. t. islandica - Iceland and British Isles to France; migrates to Mediterranean in winter.

[edit] Habitat

Breeds on islands, rocky shores and steep cliffs, usually at a lower level to the Common Guillemot. Winters on the open sea and in large estuaries.

Photo by Mahsleb
Bempton Cliffs, Yorkshire, May 2009

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] Flight

Flies fast and direct low over water.

[edit] Breeding

In colonies with eggs laid on a bare rock ledge

[edit] Diet

Swims underwater to forage for food. Eats sand eels, herring, some crustaceans and marine worms.

[edit] Vocalisation

A querrulous, croaking kaargh

1. Del Hoyo, J, A Elliott, and D Christie, eds. 2007. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 12: Picathartes to Tits and Chickadees. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8496553422
2. Clements, JF. 2007. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to October 2007. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019

1. Collins Pocket Guide to British Birds 1966
2. Collins Field Guide 5th Edition
3. Collins Bird Guide ISBN 0 00 219728 6

• List of references

[edit] External Links