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Bird name:

Razorbill

Alca tordaOrder: CHARADRIIFORMES Family: Auks, Murres and Puffins (Alcidae)
Codes: Common Name: RAZO Scientific Name: ALCTOR ITIS Taxonomic No.: 176971
Least Concern
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Razorbill: The breeding adult Razorbill has a black head, neck, and upperparts and a white line from the bill to the eye, and white underparts. The large, wedge-shaped bill is black with a central, thin white band.
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Overview

Razorbill: Large seabird with black head, neck, upperparts, white line from bill to eye, and white underparts. Large, wedge-shaped bill is black with a central, thin white band. Black legs and feet. Feeds on fish, marine worms, squid and crustaceans. Swift low direct flight.


Range and Habitat

Razorbill: Breeds in coastal sites from Spitsbergen, through Scandinavia to Iceland, Britain, and northwest France. Spends winters as far south as Spain and Morocco; also found in Greenland and the east coast of North America south to Maine. Frequents coastal and oceanic waters; breeds on coastal cliffs and rock stacks in the summer.

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Topo Map: Upright-perching Water-like Body


Listen to Call

Voice Text

"urrr", "arrc-arrc"

Interesting Facts

 Razorbills are exclusively an Atlantic species, with no counterpart in the Pacific.

 Their chicks cannot fly when they leave the colony, so the breeding site must give immediate access to the sea.

 Razorbills, guillemots and puffins do not compete directly for food because guillemots catch large fish, which they carry singly; puffins catch small fish and razorbills catch medium-sized fish.

 A group of razorbills are collectively known as an "edge" and a "strop" of razorbills.


Bird Term Glossary



Author

Gary Owen Dick

Artist

Samira Belous

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Range Map for Razorbill

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Family Auks, Murres and Puffins (Alcidae)_blue
Species Alca torda
Length16 - 18 Inches
Wingspan26 Inches

Razorbill

Razorbill: Large seabird with black head, neck, upperparts, white line from bill to eye, and white underparts. Large, wedge-shaped bill is black with a central, thin white band. Black legs and feet. Feeds on fish, marine worms, squid and crustaceans. Swift low direct flight.

● Song: "urrr", "arrc-arrc"

● Foraging & Feeding: Razorbill: Eats fish, such as herring, whiting, and sand eels; also takes crustaceans and marine worms; forages by diving beneath the water surface and swimming with its wings.

● Breeding & nesting: Razorbill: One or two green, tan, or white eggs, marked with black and brown, are laid in a nest made of pebbles, grass, and other vegetation built directly on bare rock. Incubation ranges from 35 to 37 days and is carried out by both parents.

● Similar species: Razorbill: Thick-billed and Common murres have longer, thinner bills and lack white band on bills. Atlantic Puffin has orange legs and feet, pale gray to white face and cheeks, and large triangular bill with red-orange tip and blue-gray base surrounded by yellow.

Flight Pattern

Rapid powerful flight low over water on whirring wings. Flies in straight lines when foraging or traveling long distances.
Razorbill Breeding Male Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Razorbill: Breeds in coastal sites from Spitsbergen, through Scandinavia to Iceland, Britain, and northwest France. Spends winters as far south as Spain and Morocco; also found in Greenland and the east coast of North America south to Maine. Frequents coastal and oceanic waters; breeds on coastal cliffs and rock stacks in the summer.
BreedingMonogamous, Colonial
PopulationCasual to FL coast
MigrationNonmigratory
Weight27.2 Ounces
Upright-perching Water-like BodyX
UnderpartsX
Belly, undertail coverts, chest, flanks, and foreneck.
UpperpartsX
Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.
4 and 6 letter alpha codesX

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.

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ITIS CodesX

The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) was established in the mid-1990�s as a cooperative project among several federal agencies to improve and expand upon taxonomic data (known as the NODC Taxonomic Code) maintained by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

To find the ITIS page for a bird species go to the ITIS web site advanced search and report page at http://www.itis.gov/advanced_search.html. You can enter the TSN or the common name of the bird. It will return the ITIS page for that bird. Another way to obtain the ITIS page is to use the Google search engine. Enter the string ITIS followed by the taxonomic ID, for example "ITIS 178041" will return the page for the Allen's Hummingbird.

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Parts of a Standing birdX
Head Feathers and MarkingsX
Parts of a Flying birdX