The Four Keys to ID
- Size & Shape
A thickset seabird with narrow wings, rather long tail, short neck, large head, and unique, thick, broad-tipped “razor” bill. Immatures have smaller bills than adults.
Relative Size
Larger than a Black Guillemot, smaller than a Common Eider.
crow-sizedMeasurements
- Both Sexes
- Length: 16.9 in (43 cm)
- Weight: 17.8-31.4 oz (505-890 g)
- Wingspan: 24.8-26.8 in (63-68 cm)
© Brian Sullivan
- Color Pattern
Adult in breeding plumage is jet black above and white below, with a black bill with transverse white band. The interior of the mouth is vivid yellow. Nonbreeding adults have the throat and side of the face white rather than black.
© Christoph Moning / Macaulay Library - Behavior
Dives underwater and catches fish by driving them toward the surface. Often forages in large flocks, mixed with other seabird species. Breeds in dense colonies, where males display by raising and lowering the bill to reveal a brilliant yellow interior.
- Habitat
Nests on rocky islands and cliffs in the Atlantic Ocean. Forages in the ocean, in both littoral (nearshore) ocean areas and farther offshore, over the continental slope.
© Brian Sullivan / Macaulay Library
Regional Differences
Ornithologists recognize two subspecies that differ in size: the larger torda nests from North America east to northwestern Russia, and the smaller islandica of Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and the British Isles.
