The Common Murre, known scientifically as Uria aalge, is a seabird that belongs to the family Alcidae. This bird is found in the waters of the North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans. It’s also known by other names like Common Guillemot and Thin-billed Murre.
Basic Description
The Common Murre is about 38-46 cm long with a wingspan of around 64-74 cm. The male and female birds look similar, having black feathers on their backside while their belly has white feathers. They have thin bills with a pointed tip that helps them catch fish underwater.
Where To Find This Bird
If you are looking for this bird species, then head towards rocky cliffs or offshore islands where they breed and nest during springtime. During winter season they can be found at sea coastlines or along coastal bays.
Habitat
Common Murres prefer nesting on steep narrow ledges high up on rocky cliffs near water areas as it provides them easy access to marine resources like fish which forms an integral part of their diet.
Food
Common Murres feed primarily on small fish such as herring, sand lance, capelin etc., but will also consume squid and crustaceans when available in abundance from shallow seas nearby their habitat. A single individual bird can eat up to several hundred fishes per day!
Cool Facts
One cool fact about this bird is that it’s capable of diving deep into the ocean depths ranging from 30 meters to even longer than 100 meters below sea level! Another interesting feature about common murres is that they spend most of their lives at sea except for breeding season wherein millions gather together forming large colonies atop cliff-faces along remote island habitats usually located off-shores across both North America & Europe coasts alike.
In conclusion, despite being relatively common these birds are still fascinating creatures deserving respect for their unique lifestyles amid harsh living conditions in the wild. They require conservation measures to ensure their survival and preservation for future generations to behold.
