Uria aalge - Guillemot
Feather characters. Barbules are short (0.3-0.8 mm) and dark pigmented parts may occur. Borders between cells are visible, but hardly swollen and thus too small to qualify as nodes. These nodal structures (17-22 per mm) have about the same size along the entire length of the barbules, only slightly decreasing towards the tip. Villi are absent and internodes are straight. Prongs are mostly located on distal end of barbules, on both sides of the pennulum. Their length varies but the longest prongs may reach a length between half and the entire length of the adjacent internode.
Field characters. Size 40 cm. Weight: male 1006 g (775-1202), female 979 g (815-1187) (Dunning, 1993). Slightly larger than Razorbill (Alca torda, not included in BRIS), with a slender and pointed bill, a fuller chest, longer neck, browner colour on back, and with short rounded tail. In winter plumage, head becomes whiter, with white going up behind eye, and more sharply demarcated from black than in Razorbill; a black line extends backward from the eye. Flanks streaked. A bridled form occurs, which has a white ring around the eye with a white line extending backward. The underwings are white, but speckled with grey. Flight is low and fast, with very fast wingbeats. Like other auks very vulnerable to oil pollution.
Voice. Only heard at colonies, a loud 'caarrrr'. Juvenile at sea has a loud and high-pitched call.
Distribution. Increasingly common to the north. Occurs in huge colonies. Map: see MapIt.
Habitat. Breeds on high rocky cliffs, winters at sea.
Food. Predominantly fish.