The Common Murre, known as the Common Guillemot in Britain and Europe, is a sleek diving seabird of the northern oceans and a member of the auk family. With its upright stance, dark upperparts, and white underparts, it superficially recalls a small penguin, but unlike penguins it flies strongly on short, whirring wings. It is among the most numerous seabirds of the Northern Hemisphere.
Common Murres spend most of the year at sea and come ashore only to breed, when they gather in dense, noisy colonies on cliff ledges and rocky islands. They are superb underwater swimmers, using their wings to 'fly' through the water in pursuit of fish, and can dive to considerable depths. Their tightly packed breeding colonies are among the most spectacular seabird gatherings in the north.
In breeding plumage the head and upperparts are dark chocolate-brown to blackish and the underparts white, with a slender pointed bill. In winter the throat and cheeks turn white with a dark line running back from the eye. A distinctive 'bridled' form has a thin white eye-ring and line, more frequent in northern populations.
| Upperparts | Dark chocolate-brown to blackish head, back, and wings |
| Underparts | Clean white breast and belly |
| Bill | Long, slender, and pointed, unlike the deep bill of the razorbill |
| Winter face | White cheeks and throat with a dark line extending back behind the eye |
| Size | About 38-46 cm long with a 61-73 cm wingspan |
| Posture | Upright, penguin-like stance when standing on ledges |
At the colony Common Murres are highly vocal, producing a chorus of growling, purring, and rolling 'arrr' or 'murrr' calls that give the bird its name. Adults and chicks recognize one another individually by voice, which is essential in the crowded, noisy conditions of the breeding ledges. Away from the colony the birds are largely silent.
The Common Murre has a wide distribution across the cold and temperate waters of the North Atlantic and North Pacific, breeding from the coasts of eastern Canada and the British Isles across to Scandinavia, and from Alaska and Japan south along the Pacific coast of North America. Outside the breeding season it disperses widely across northern seas, typically staying over continental shelves rather than in the open ocean.
The species feeds mainly on small schooling fish such as sandeels, sprats, capelin, and herring, along with some crustaceans, marine worms, and other invertebrates. It hunts by pursuit-diving, propelling itself underwater with its wings, and often forages well below the surface. Parents carry single fish crosswise in the bill back to the chick on the ledge.
Common Murres nest in dense colonies on cliff ledges and flat-topped rocks, building no nest at all. The single pear-shaped egg is laid directly on bare rock; its pointed shape helps it roll in a tight arc rather than off the ledge. Both parents incubate and later, before the chick can fly, it leaps from the cliff to the sea at night accompanied by the male, who continues to care for it at sea.
- Thick-billed Murre: Very similar but with a shorter, thicker bill bearing a pale gape line and blacker upperparts
- Razorbill: Blacker above with a deep, blunt, vertically flattened bill crossed by a white line
- Atlantic Puffin: Same family but instantly told by its large, colorful triangular bill in summer
Is the Common Murre the same as the Common Guillemot?
Yes. Common Murre is the North American name and Common Guillemot is the name used in Britain and Europe for the same species, Uria aalge.
Why does it lay only one egg on bare rock?
Ledge space is limited and the pointed, pear-shaped egg rolls in a tight circle rather than off the edge, which helps it survive without a nest.
How is it different from a penguin?
Although it looks similar and swims underwater using its wings, the murre can fly and belongs to the auk family of the Northern Hemisphere, while penguins are flightless southern birds.
How does a chick leave the colony?
Before it can fly, the chick jumps from the cliff to the sea at night with its father, who then raises it on the water for several weeks.