Husavik & Siglufjorour, Northern Iceland- Mystery Birds (1 Viewer)

[trailhoundz]

Hi Birding friends,

First post to the forum- I was referred here from TripAdvisor, where I had posted about a couple of "mystery" birds I saw in North Iceland this past August/September. I'm not a professional birder by any stretch of the imagination, but love animals and am trying to learn as much as I can.

I THINK one is a juvenile Brunnich's Guillemot (stubby beak) and one is a juvenile Black Guillemot (longer beak) but I'm not 100% sure.

In terms of size, the stubbier-beaked bird was smaller and rounder/chubbier.

They were both calmly floating around the harbors in the seaside towns of Husavik and Siglufjorour in Northern Iceland and I was just smitten by them. So adorable!

Thank you for any ID help you can provide!
Jen

 

[KenM]

I’m thinking Black Guillemot for both.

Cheers

 

[aeshna5]

Surely first is a Little Auk!

 

[Julian Bell]

I'm with KenM on this one. Both look like Black Guillemots.

 

[Nutcracker]

Ditto to both Black Guillemots; a 1st-winter and a likely adult winter, respectively. No other Atlantic auk has white barring or patches on the wing like these, nothing more than narrow white fringes.

 

[trailhoundz]

You guys rock! Thank you!!!!

Jen

 

[howiewu]

Glad you got your answers!