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Razorbill Alca torda [Linnaeus, 1758]
Other Names
Trends & Distribution
Breeding & Survival
Biometrics
Books & Links
Order:
Charadriiformes
Family:
Alcidae
BTO Codes:
RA, RAZOR
EURING No:
6360
Number in Britain:
164 thousand 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:
islandica (RBW), torda (S) recorded in Britain (of 2 subsp. in the world)
.
Length:
38 cm
Wingspan:
66 cm
Weight:
M/F: 710 g
Scientific name from:
ON: alka =Razorbill
and Swedish: tordmule =the razorbill
World Distribution:
n&w Europe, nw Russia, ne North America, WINTERS: at sea nr breeding grounds
Habitat:
Coastal cliffs, otherwise pelagic
Diet:
Fish, some invertebrates
TitBit:
The large egg of the Razorbill (equivalent to a human bearing an 18-20 lb baby) shows marked individual variation in its patterning, presumably to aid recognition on the densely populated cliff ledges on which it breeds
Population and Distribution
Population Trend:
No population trend available
Distribution:
New Atlas )
British Population Size:
Summer:
164 thousand individuals
in 1998-02
First Record:
1661
Latest Survey:
Mitchell, P.I. et al. (2004) Seabird populations of Britain and Ireland Poyser, London
Conservation Status:
AMBER
because
Localised Breeding Population,
Previous Assessments:
2002-2007
AMBER
1996-2001
AMBER
Races of Concern:
islandica AMBER (Rare or Localised) , torda GREEN
Habitat Occupancy (in the Breeding Season):
No habitat data from BBS
European Population Size:
Summer:
430 to 760 thousand pairs
Birds in Europe
Listed on the Appendices/Schedules of:
Bern(III)
Survey Results:
Breeding and Survival
Egg Size:
75 x 48 mm
Egg Weight:
90.0 g (of which 10 % is shell)
Number of Nest Records:
59
Clutch Size:
1 eggs
Incubation:
32- 39 days
by the:
Male + Female
Fledging:
14 - 24days
as:
Altricial, downy
First Clutches Laid:
Unavailable
Number of Broods:
1
Number Ringed:
2324
Adult Survival:
0.900
Juvenile Survival:
0.380 (to age 4 )
Age at First Breeding:
4
years
Typical Lifespan:
13
years
Maximum Recorded Age:
41yr 11m
Biometrics
Ring Size:
Special
Wing Length
Adult:
196.9 ± 6.9
Range
189 - 205 mm, N =285
Juvenile:
Insufficient Data.
Male:
Insufficient Data
Female:
Insufficient Data
Weight
Adult:
612.6 ± 52.76
Range
525.0 - 705.0 g , N =266
Juvenile:
Insufficient Data.
Male:
Insufficient Data
Female:
Insufficient Data
Source:
British Trust for Ornithology (2005) Ringing Scheme data
Other Names
Gaelic:
Coltraiche
Welsh:
Llurs
Danish:
Alk
Dutch:
Alk
Finnish:
Ruokki
French:
Petit Pingouin
German:
Tordalk
Hungarian:
Alka
Icelandic:
Álka
Irish:
Crosán
Italian:
Gazza marina
Norwegian:
Alke
Polish:
Alka zwyczajna
Portuguese:
Torda-mergulheira
Spanish:
Alca
Swedish:
Tordmule
Local Names: Coulter Neb, Willock
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]
See Also:
All About Birds (Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
Gough, G.A. et al. (1998) Patuxent Bird Identification Infocenter
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