Black Guillemot - A Local Marine Bird

                                                Black Guillemot in Breeding Plumage

The Black Guillemot (Cepphus grylle) is a small marine bird species which is a resident of New Brunswick.  It is a member of the Alcidae family.  It is found commonly at the mouth of the Bay of Fundy and breeds on many islands there.  It is also common along the shores of the Acadian Peninsula in fall and winter and it breeds at Heron Island, Belldune, and Pokeshaw in Chaleur Bay.  Like all alcids, Black Guillemots are rarely seen on fresh water and come to land only when nesting.  

The Black Guillemot range is widespread in Canada.  It is found along ocean shorelines from Maine (USA) northward along the coast year round all the way to Ungava and Baffin Island.  It is also found in summer on the high Arctic islands.  It is also found on the northern coasts of Yukon and Alaska.  This species' range is not restricted to North America.  It is also found in Europe along shorelines of Greenland, Iceland, the United Kingdom, Scandinavia and Siberia.  It is, however, more abundant on the American side of the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans.

                                                Black Guillemot in Winter    [Denise Albert Photo]

The Black Guillemot is a small alcid, measuring 30-32 cm long (13").  In breeding plumage it is all black with large white dorsal wing patches.  It has bright red feet, a dark, pointed bill and bright red mouth linings.  It flies in a rapid straight line with whirring wingbeats and the conspicuous white wing patches flashing. That makes it easy to identify.  In the alternate plumage it becomes mostly white with black mottling mainly on the back.  The white dorsal wing coverts (patches) are still visible in this plumage.  Both genders are similar.  The young are similar to winter adults but are speckled all over.  

There is another guillemot which the North American birder needs to be aware of, the Pigeon Guillemot (Cepphus columba).  The two guillemot species are very similar but can be distinguished by the wing linings and the wing patches.  The Black Guillemot has clean white wing linings and a completely white wing patch.  The Pigeon Guillemot has dark wing linings and the white wing patch has a black bar extending into its base.  The Pigeon Guillemot's range is along the west coast of North America from Alaska to California so we are not likely to see it here.

Black Guillemots are very vocal especially around their breeding sites.  Their voice is a high-pitched scream or whistle.  It is described as a persistent 'peeeeeeech'.   After hatching the young utter cheeping and whistling calls.  They are noisy birds!  The red mouth linings and persistent cries must be used as signals between mated pairs.

Guillemots breed on rocky shores and build their nests under or behind large rocks.  The nest is made of debris and small stones.  One to two white boldly blotched eggs (sometimes tinted blue-green) are laid and incubated from 23 to 39 days by both parents.  The species is not colonial but a few pairs can be found nesting closely in suitable habitat.  They often nest in single pairs.  Black Guillemots are the only auk that lays more than one egg.  Guillemots feed by diving to the bottom using their wings in a flying motion under water.  Their feet are used only for steering.  They are known to dive at least 50 metres.  They feed on polychaetes, mollusks, jellyfish, crustaceans, barnacles and fish.  That is a large variety!  Each pair sticks to their own special area of water.

                                            Black Guillemot in Alternate Plumage

Black Guillemots are sometimes called 'Sea Pigeons'.  Looking at the bird you can easily tell why.  They remind one of pigeons in shape and movement.  They are also sometimes called 'Tysties'.  The genus name, Cepphus, is derived from the ancient Greek word, kepphos, which was a pale waterbird mentioned by ancient Greek authors including Aristotle.    The species name, grylle, was a local name for this species in Gotland in the 1700s.  Our English word, guillemot, is from the French word, guillemot, which was probably derived from 'Guillaume', their word for 'William'.  However it was named, this alcid is a common, enjoyable oceanic bird of Canada and New Brunswick and a delight for birders to see.  Its population numbers are doing well for now.  We hope that remains so.