|
|
Deepseawaters
Home Deep
Sea BirdsCommon Murre
Common Murre
Common Name: Common Murre
Scientific Name: Uria aalge
Description
The common murre is one
of the success stories of the sea – about 10 million breed
in the northern parts of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans,
and millions more are young birds that are gaining the experience
they’ll need to attempt nesting the first time. Many of the
features of murres’ life history show just how difficult life
at sea is. Murres don’t even try to breed for the first time
until they’re five or six years old and murres lay only one
egg in a clutch, probably because the difficulty of finding
food means that they are able to feed only one chick. Both
parents take turns incubating the egg on a bare rock ledge.
Behaviour
Common murres can fly 200
kilometers from the nest to find food for their chicks, and
may dive as deep as 100 meters for food, but 70 kilometers
and 50 meters are probably more typical maximums.
Diet
Murres feed their chicks
three to five fish a day, and adults eat mostly fish too,
but they may also consume zooplankton and squid.
Identification Tips
Length: 14 inches Sexes similar Immature like basic-plumaged
adult but often with smaller bill Large alcid that dives
for food from water surfaceThin, pointed bill Small,
rounded tail Blurry streaks make flanks appear dusky
Thin white trailing edge to secondaries visible at rest
Pelagic bird only coming ashore to breed
Adult Alternate
Blackish head, neck, back, wings, and tail
White breast, belly, and undertail coverts
Some Atlantic birds have white eyering and line extending to the rear of face
White breast meets dark neck as blunt, rounded intrusion
Adult Basic
White foreneckDark line extending from eye across
cheek
Similar Species
The Thick-billed Murre is
very similar to the Common Murre. In breeding
plumage the Thick-billed Murre is blacker above with a white
point intruding into the black throat. In winter, the Thick-billed
Murre has a darker face without the dark line on the cheek.
At close range in all plumages, it has a thin, white line
on the bill that the Common Murre lacks and
an overall heavier bill. Razorbills have heavier bills, whiter
flanks, and pointed tails. Guillemots also have thin bills
but are all black with white wing patches in summer and are
much paler in winter with white wing patches.
 Email
To Friend
|
