Razorbill

Adults in breeding plumage have a black head, neck, back, and upper wings with a contrasting white underbelly and breast. A thin white line extends from the base of the heavy, blunt bill to the eye. In winter, the throat and cheeks become white, and the bill may appear slightly duller. Juveniles resemble winter adults but have a smaller, less distinctly marked bill.

Deep, vertically flattened black bill with white vertical bars, distinctive white line from bill to eye, solid black upperparts sharply contrasting with white underparts, and a pointed tail.

Length: 38-43 cm (15-17 inches), Wingspan: 60-69 cm (24-27 inches), Weight: 505-905 g (1.1-2.0 lbs).

Generally silent at sea, but emits low-pitched growls, grunts, and croaking sounds ('arrr-arrr') at the breeding colonies.

Consists mainly of small schooling fish such as sand lances, capelin, sprats, and herring, supplemented by crustaceans and marine worms, caught by pursuit-diving.

Marine pelagic environments during the non-breeding season; rocky coastal cliffs, sea stacks, and boulder fields during the breeding season.

Migratory and dispersive. Northern populations migrate further south into the western and eastern Atlantic, while more southerly populations may be year-round residents.

Does not build a traditional nest. Instead, a single egg is laid directly on bare rock in a sheltered crevice, under boulders, or on a narrow cliff ledge. Both parents incubate the egg and feed the chick.

Common Murre (Common Guillemot), which has a pointed bill and lacks the white facial line; Thick-billed Murre, which is bulkier with a shorter bill featuring a white line along the cutting edge.

Acts as an apex predator in coastal marine food webs, helping regulate fish populations, and serves as an important bioindicator of marine ecosystem health.

Near Threatened globally, though local populations can be affected by oil spills, climate change, and overfishing.

Visit rugged coastal cliffs and rocky islands in the North Atlantic during spring and summer. Use binoculars or a spotting scope to observe them nesting among other alcids like guillemots and puffins.

Razorbills form long-term monogamous pair bonds and return to the exact same nesting site year after year. They can dive to depths of up to 120 meters (nearly 400 feet) in search of prey.