Common Murre Identification

The Four Keys to ID

• Size & Shape

  A large, heavy-bodied seabird, similar in shape to a loon (but smaller and shorter necked). It has a long, pointed bill, short tail, and slender, pointed wings.

  Relative Size

  Larger than a Pigeon or Black Guillemot, smaller than a Common Loon.

  crow-sized

  Measurements

  • Both Sexes
  • • Length: 15.0-16.9 in (38-43 cm)
    • Weight: 28.2-39.7 oz (800-1125 g)
    • Wingspan: 25.2-27.9 in (64-71 cm)

  © Brian Sullivan / Macaulay Library

• Color Pattern

  Breeding birds are neatly marked with blackish head, face, and upperparts (dark brown when seen at close range) and clean white below. Nonbreeding adults have a pale throat and face with a dark line behind the eye. Some Atlantic adults in breeding plumage have a "bridle": a white eyering with white line extending behind it.

• Behavior

  Common Murres typically nest in dense, busy colonies crowded onto high cliff ledges. They fly with very rapid wingbeats to keep their heavy bodies aloft. They typically sit on the ocean surface between making deep dives for fish during which they flap their wings for propulsion.
• Habitat

  Spends most of its life on the open ocean—often far out to sea, although some individuals can often be spotted from shore. Breeds on oceanside cliffs and islands.