Brünnich's Guillemot Uria lomvia
Common on the seas around the whole island group, and especially at the colonies. The greatest density of colonies is found on Spitsbergen and south-east Svalbard, together with Bjørnøya. The birds move in to the coasts mainly in April and leave the island group when the young leave the colonies in late July and during August. From mid-September some return, but the great majority are away from the island group during the polar night. The breeding population numbers more than 800,000 pairs.
Features: 40-44 cm, 0.7-1.2 kg. ♂=♀. Can easily be mistaken for Common Guillemot, but has a pale bill stripe (difficult to see at a distance and in some light conditions), and lacks the black streaks on the flanks. The young resemble the adults in winter plumage when they leave the bird cliff, but are considerably smaller. One year old birds resemble the adults in winter plumage. Breeding: Breeds on ledges on steep bird cliffs. Lays one egg directly on the ledge. |