Black Guillemot

Cepphus grylle

Photo by AlanBatt

Description

Location: Isle of N. Uist, Outer Hebrides

Identification

Breeds in Iceland and the Faroes, Jan Mayen, Bear Island, Svalbard and Franz Josef Land, north and west British Isles, around the north coasts of the Baltic and islands in the Kattegat, coastal Norway to the Murmansk Coast and the White Sea, and on Kolguyev and Novaya Zemlya.

Most populations are resident with little or no movement away from breeding sites but in the far north most birds move southwards. Birds from Finland and Gulf of Bothnia winter mainly off south-east Sweden. Occasionally seen south of main range in winter, annually recorded in Netherlands, more rarely south to northern France and Belgium and exceptionally recorded in Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia. Recently recorded off Spain. They are also found in Eastern North America as well.

Subspecies Five races occur in the region but separation at sea is rarely possible. Most distinctive is mandtii from Jan Mayen, Bear I and Svalbard, with whiter upperparts in non-breeding plumage. Remaining races, nominate grylle from the Baltic, arcticus from British Is to Arctic Russia, faroeensis from Faroes and islandicus from Iceland are all very similar, differing only in minor measurements.

Habitat Colonial breeder in boulder piles at the base of cliffs and on scree-covered slopes on low rocky islands and coasts. Winters mainly in sheltered bays close to breeding site.

Bird Song

<flashmp3>Cepphus grylle (song).mp3</flashmp3>
Listen in an external program

External Links

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