Black guillemot

The black guillemot or tystie (Cepphus grylle), is a medium-sized seabird of the Alcidae family. It is found across northern Europe, the North Atlantic and parts of the Arctic, including the coasts of Canada, Greenland, Iceland, the British Isles, Scandinavia and Russia. It inhabits marine environments, including coastal and intertidal waters as well as offshore ocean habitats. The bird is resident in much of its range, but large populations from the high arctic migrate southwards in winter. The bird can be seen in and around its breeding habitat of rocky shores, cliffs and islands in single or small groups of pairs. They feed mainly by diving towards the sea floor feeding on fish, crustaceans or other benthic invertebrates. They are listed on the IUCN red list as a species of least concern.

In breeding plumage, the black guillemot is predominantly black, with oval white wing patches and bright red legs. In autumn and winter, its plumage becomes largely off-white with dark markings, a darker back and dark flight feathers. Both sexes have very similar appearances. The bill is also black, being rather long and slender, while the feet are coral-red. In winter adult underparts are white and the upperparts are a pale grey with the back and shoulders exhibiting barred light grey and white patterning.

The birds breed in solitary pairs or small groups during their breeding season starting in late February and early May. Pairs nest above the high tide mark, usually in cliff crevices or gaps in boulders. Breeding pairs typically lay clutches of one or two eggs, and raise 2 chicks to fledging. Many pairs lack true nests and lay directly on the ground. The eggs are dull white to pale green, boldly marked with dark spots and blotches. Incubation by both parents typically lasts 28 to 32 days. Once hatched, chicks are covered with black down and receive care from the parents until they fledge aged 30–40 days, unaccompanied by their parents. Once fledged, chicks are totally independent and by age three or four years they will begin to re-join their natal colony.

From the Wikipedia article “Black guillemot” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Black_guillemot&oldid=1384293689), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.