Overview
Dovekie: Small seabird with black upperparts and hood, white underparts, and stubby, black, sparrow-like bill. Wings are black with thin white trailing edge, visible when folded, and dark underwings. Swift direct flight with rapid wing beats, usually flies low over the water.
Range and Habitat
Dovekie: Breeds in eastern Arctic Canada. Spends winters south to New Jersey; also in northern Europe. Breeds on rocky cliffs; winters chiefly at sea.
Topo Map:
Upright-perching Water-like Body
Voice Text
"chatter-chatter-chatter", "squeek-squeek-squeek"
Interesting Facts
The Dovkie breeding population at Thule in northwestern Greenland is among the largest and densest breeding aggregations of all auks. This population traditionally has been estimated as 30 million birds.
They sometimes shows up out of range along the east coast of North America. Sustained, strong easterly winds may make feeding conditions unsuitable and push the weakened birds landward. The winter of 1932 -1933 saw Dovekies raining down on the streets of New York City and large numbers washing up along the entire eastern seaboard, from Nova Scotia to Florida.
The latin name Alle may have come from the note of the bird which sounds like "try - eye" or to some " al- le". Linnaeus named it Alca alle. This was changed to Mergulus alle and to Plautus alle before it finally became Alle alle. Historical names include: Bull Bird and Common Rotche.
A group of auks has many collective nouns, including a "colony", "loomery", and "raft" of auks.
Bird Term Glossary
Author
Gary Owen Dick
Artist
Samira Belous
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