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Do common and Brünnich`s Guillemot hybridise? (1 Viewer)

Andy Hurley

Andy Hurley

Gotta love nature!
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This photo shows some Guillemots in New Foundland from the breeding season 2011. The left one has a thicker bill, but it doesn't look like a pure breed Brünnich's to me, but it differs from the right hand Common Guillemot.
The bill is different and the feet have a nice mustard pattern to them.

Many thanks
 

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Possibly the fire-shortening angle of the bill on the second bird that’s giving that impression?

Cheers
 
Thanks everyone, for your quick answers. Yes the bridled Guillemot is not a subspecies AFAIK, but rather an interesting variation that looks like they are wearing spectacles. The reason I asked, is every day I put different species up as a background picture on my desk top. Today's photo is the Common Guillemot, so I used one of the bridled photos that I had.
Thanks for the link Andy. Sounds like they are having fun with their wards!
 
^ Very interesting links.

In "Great Auk Islands" Tim Birkhead mentions a bird seen during his studies in Labrador which he is certain was a hybrid.

I've seen the stripey feet thing on a few Common Guillemots in the UK, both bridled and non bridled. Some have had almost black feet with just faint hints of yellow stripes but at the other extreme I have seen one bird whose feet were mainly yellow with just small black stripes, although with black webs.
 
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