Common Murre

Common Murre, breeding plumage

About the photographs

Common Murre, nonbreeding plumage, Monterey, CA, October

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1. Description
2. Sound
3. Conservation Status
4. Other Names
5. Cool Facts
6. Full detailed species account

An abundant, penguin-like bird of the cooler northern oceans, the Common Murre nests along rocky cliffs and spends its winter at sea.

Description

• Medium-sized waterbird.
• Black back and head, white underside.
• Rather long, slender, pointed bill.
• Face and throat white in nonbreeding plumage.

• Size: 38-43 cm (15-17 in)
• Wingspan: 64-71 cm (25-28 in)
• Weight: 800-1125 g (28.24-39.71 ounces)

Sex Differences

Sexes look alike.

Sound

Generally silent at sea, makes gutteral "urr" at colony.

Conservation Status

Numerous, but vulnerable to oil spills and gill-netting. Pacific populations have declined and partially recovered, while Atlantic populations appear to be increasing.

Other Names

Guillemot marmette (French)
Arao común (Spanish)
Atlantic Murre, Guillemot (British) (English)

Cool Facts

• In the Atlantic, some populations include "bridled" or "ringed" individuals, which have a white eye-ring and a white line extending backward from the eyes. Bridled birds are more common farther north.
• The high degree of variation in color and markings of Common Murre eggs may allow parent murres to recognize their own egg when they return to the colony from time at sea.

• The egg of a Common Murre is so pointed at one end that when placed on a flat surface and pushed, it rolls around in a circle. Such a shape may help keep the egg from rolling off of its nesting shelf.

Sources used to construct this page:

Ainley, D. G., D. N. Nettleship, H. R. Carter, and A. E. Storey. 2002. Common Murre (Uria aalge). In The Birds of North America, No. 666 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America,Inc., Philadelphia, PA.