Razorbill Identification
Its scientific name is 'Alca torda', from the family Alcidae (order Charadriiformes)
What I look like
The Razorbill is slightly smaller than the Common Guillemot.
The upper body is blackish.
The underside is white (the flanks are not streaked).
It has a short, thick, and truncated bill with a white line on the tip.
It has a thick neck, a long pointed tail, and a flatter back than the Common Guillemot.
Its long pointed tail is noticeable from behind or on the water, with the tail raised.
In flight, the white sides are more visible than on the Common Guillemot. The distinctive rump and feet under the tail are also noticeable.
In breeding plumage, the head and throat are black, the white line on the bill is very distinct, and a white line appears between the bill and the eye.
In non-breeding plumage, the cheeks are white, which might confuse it with the Common Guillemot but it has a longer tail, no streaked flanks, and a white axillary area.
Juveniles have a smaller, thinner, and pointier bill and do not have a white line on the tip.
My songs, my calls
The Razorbill is fairly silent. It mostly vocalizes in colonies.
Breeding birds produce low "urrr" sounds, hoarse calls that resemble growls.
How I behave
The Razorbill often flies in groups just above the waves with rapid wingbeats.
It is a skilled diver. It spreads its wings before tipping forward and then "flies" underwater, using its feet as a rudder.
How I reproduce
The Razorbill nests on cliffs, in large cavities or scree, and sometimes in burrows like the Atlantic Puffin.
It nests in isolated pairs or in loose colonies (unlike the Common Guillemot which forms dense gatherings).
It lays a single pyriform egg, conical in shape to prevent it from rolling, directly on the rock.
What I eat
The Razorbill feeds on fish and crustaceans.
To find food, they fish in groups and dive into schools of fish.
It can catch several fish at once in its bill.
Where to find me
The Razorbill is pelagic (lives in open sea).
It is found in the Atlantic Ocean as far south as northern Africa.
For nesting, it comes to the coasts and goes down the Atlantic coast as far as Brittany.
It can live for about twenty years.