Auks · Shorebirds
Common Murre
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Uria aalge
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Voice
Call
Sonothèque ADVL
How to recognize it
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38–46 cm, duck-sized; dark brown-black above, white below
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Thin pointed bill, dark legs
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In winter, chin and area behind eye turn white
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In flight, bill and legs stand out; often carries fish crosswise in bill
About the species
The Common Murre stands out more for its clean, compact shape and narrow bill than for showy detail. On the water and in flight, it looks purposeful and direct.
It is noisy in breeding colonies, where the calls blend into a constant roar. It swims and dives very well, using its wings underwater, and it can fly fast, though it is not especially agile and has trouble taking off.
It spends most of its life at sea and comes ashore only to breed on cliffs and rocky islands along the northern Atlantic and Pacific. It feeds mainly on fish, sometimes on crustaceans, and during chick-rearing adults bring food back one fish at a time.
Where to find
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On riverfronts with stone walls and bridges, where dark shapes sit tight on the water and harsh colony calls carry across the bank.
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Around old piers and breakwaters — perched on concrete or rock edges before diving after fish with almost no run-up.
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In winter on open water at canal mouths or unfrozen stretches of river, when low fast wingbeats skim just above the surface.
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Near steep embankments, cliffs, or high waterfront ledges — look for dense clusters packed shoulder to shoulder on narrow shelves.
You might also see
Sources
- eBird — Uria aalge Sightings map and full description on eBird
- Wikipedia — Common murre Encyclopedia article