- Alca torda
Identification
L. 38-43 cm
W. 60-69 cm
Adult Breeding
- Black upperparts
- White breast and belly
- Thick, black bill with blunt end
- White stripes on bill
- White line from eye to base of the bill
- Long, pointed tail
Non-breeding
- Black face becomes white
Distribution
Northern Atlantic coasts, in eastern North America as far south as Maine, and in western Europe from northwestern Russia to northern France.
Taxonomy
Two subspecies are recognized:[1]
- A. t. torda - Northeast North America, Scandinavia to Murmansk and White Sea
- A. t. islandica - Iceland and British Isles to France; migrates to Mediterranean in winter.
Habitat
Islands, rocky shores and cliffs.
Behaviour
Nesting: In colonies with eggs laid on bare rock. Diet: Swims underwater to forage for food. Eats sand eels, herring, some crustaceans and marine worms.
Voice
<flashmp3>Alca torda (song).mp3</flashmp3>
Listen in an external program
- Del Hoyo, J, A Elliott, and D Christie, eds. 2007. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 12: Picathartes to Tits and Chickadees. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8496553422
- Clements, JF. 2007. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to October 2007. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Razorbill. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 18 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Razorbill - this puts "list of references at end.
