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Guillemot Uria aalge [Pontoppidan, 1763]
Other Names
Trends & Distribution
Breeding & Survival
Biometrics
Books & Links
Order:
Charadriiformes
Family:
Alcidae
BTO Codes:
GU, GUILL
EURING No:
6340
Number in Britain:
1.3 million individuals (Summer)
Conservation Status:
UK:
AMBER
European:
Not a species of concern
Global:
Least Concern
Links to: Images
Videos
Sound
Status in UK:
(A) Migrant/Resident Breeder, Winter Visitor
Subspecies:
aalge (RBW), albionis (RBW) recorded in Britain (of 5 subsp. in the world)
.
Length:
40 cm
Wingspan:
67 cm
Weight:
M/F: 690 g
Scientific name from:
Gr.: ouria a waterbird mentioned by Athenaeus
and Danish: aalge =auk (from ON alka )
World Distribution:
n&w Europe, n Asia, North America
Habitat:
Coastal cliffs, otherwise pelagic
Diet:
Mostly fish, usually taken from depths up to 60m
TitBit:
The Guillemot has perhaps the smallest nesting territory any British bird, extending a beak length round its nest (about 5cm) and its egg is so shaped as to roll in circles, rather than off the narrow cliff edge on which it is laid
Population and Distribution
Population Trend:
No population trend available
Distribution:
New Atlas )
British Population Size:
Summer:
1.3 million individuals
in 1998-02
First Record:
12th Century
[Fossil evidence from
Latest Survey:
Mitchell, P.I. et al. (2004) Seabird populations of Britain and Ireland Poyser, London
Conservation Status:
AMBER
because
Localised Breeding Population,
Important Breeding Population
Previous Assessments:
2002-2007
AMBER
1996-2001
AMBER
Races of Concern:
aalge AMBER (Rare or Localised) , albionis AMBER (Rare or Localised)
Habitat Occupancy (in the Breeding Season):
No habitat data from BBS
European Population Size:
Summer:
2 to 2.7 million pairs
Birds in Europe
Listed on the Appendices/Schedules of:
WBD(I*), Bern(III)
Survey Results:
Breeding and Survival
Egg Size:
82 x 50 mm
Egg Weight:
108.0 g (of which 11 % is shell)
Number of Nest Records:
2
Clutch Size:
1 eggs
Incubation:
28- 37 days
by the:
Male + Female
Fledging:
18 - 25days
as:
Altricial, downy
First Clutches Laid:
Unavailable
Number of Broods:
1
Number Ringed:
11488
Adult Survival:
0.949
Juvenile Survival:
No data
Age at First Breeding:
5
years
Typical Lifespan:
24
years
Maximum Recorded Age:
31yr 9m
(Sweden: 38yr 0m)
Biometrics
Ring Size:
Special
Wing Length
Adult:
203.3 ± 7.2
Range
194 - 211 mm, N =691
Juvenile:
Insufficient Data.
Male:
Insufficient Data
Female:
Insufficient Data
Weight
Adult:
890.9 ± 73.79
Range
770.0 - 1010 g , N =994
Juvenile:
Insufficient Data.
Male:
Insufficient Data
Female:
Insufficient Data
Source:
British Trust for Ornithology (2005) Ringing Scheme data
Other Names
Common Guillemot, Common Murre
Gaelic:
Eun-dubh-an-sgadain
Welsh:
Gwylog
Danish:
Lomvie
Dutch:
Zeekoet
Finnish:
Etelänkiisla
French:
Guillemot de Troďl
German:
Trottellumme
Hungarian:
Vékonycsoru lumma
Icelandic:
Langvía
Irish:
Foracha
Italian:
Uria
Norwegian:
Lomvi
Polish:
Nurzyk zwyczajny
Portuguese:
Arau-comum
Spanish:
Arao común
Swedish:
Sillgrissla
Local Names: Loom
Collective Noun: Loomery (breeding colony)
For More Information...
Books and Monographs:
Gaston, A. 1998 The auks Oxford University Press, Oxford
[598.618 GAS]
Nettleship, D. & Birkhead, T.R. 1985 The atlantic Alcidae Academic Press, London
[598.618 NET]
Birkhead, T. 1993 Great auk islands Poyser, London
[998 BIR]
See Also:
All About Birds (Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
Gough, G.A. et al. (1998) Patuxent Bird Identification Infocenter
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