Pigeon Guillemot

Cepphus columbaOrder: CHARADRIIFORMES Family: Auks, Murres and Puffins (Alcidae)

Codes: Common Name: PIGU Scientific Name: CEPCOL ITIS Taxonomic No.: 176991

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Overview

Pigeon Guillemot: Medium-sized seabird with black body and large white wing patches interrupted by black bars. Wings are paler below. Bill is black, pointed, and long. Legs and feet are bright red. Feeds on crustaceans, mollusks and marine worms. Strong swift direct flight low over water.

Range and Habitat

Pigeon Guillemot: Breeds on coasts and islands from southern Alaska south to southern California; spends winters offshore.

Topo Map: Upright-perching Water-like Body

Listen to Call

Voice Text

"peeee"

Interesting Facts

The Pigeon Guillemot often scales vertical rock faces by vigorous flapping of its wings combined with the use of the sharp claws on its webbed feet.

It is one of the few members of the auk and puffin family to lay two eggs. Nearly all others lay only one egg.

Because they feed their chicks constantly throughout the day, the chicks fledge faster than equivalent sized auks that are only fed at night

A group of guillemots are collectively known as a "bazaar" and a "loomery" of guillemots.

Bird Term Glossary

Author

Gary Owen Dick

Artist

Yury Lisyak

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Pigeon Guillemot

● Song: "peeee"

● Foraging & Feeding: Pigeon Guillemot: Diet consists of small fish, mollusks, crustaceans, and marine worms; forages by diving from the surface, appearing to fly underwater while searching for food.

● Breeding & nesting: Pigeon Guillemot: One or two white, pale blue or yellow, dark-spotted eggs are laid in a crevice or burrow. Incubation ranges from 29 to 32 days and is carried out by both parents.

● Similar species: Pigeon Guillemot: Black Guillemot has black bars on white wing patches. Male White-winged Scoter has duck-like bill and white on face.

Flight Pattern

Swift strong direct flight.

● Range & Habitat: Pigeon Guillemot: Breeds on coasts and islands from southern Alaska south to southern California; spends winters offshore.

^BreedingMonogamous, Small colonies

^PopulationFairly common in coastal range

^MigrationNonmigratory

^Weight17.6 Ounces

Upright-perching Water-like Body

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America