• Skip to Content
  • Skip to Main Navigation
  • Skip to Local Navigation
  • Skip to Search
  • Skip to Sitemap
  • Skip to Footer
We won a Webby Award!

Common Murre

Uria aalge ORDER: CHARADRIIFORMES FAMILY: ALCIDAE

IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern

  • Similar Species
  • Related Species
  • Go to:

An abundant, penguin-like bird of the cooler northern oceans, the Common Murre nests along rocky cliffs and spends its winter at sea.

Birds and Beans Coffee

Appearance

Ducklike
Ducklike
Typical Voice

Adult Description

  • Medium-sized waterbird.
  • Black back and head, white underside.
  • Rather long, slender, pointed bill.
  • Face and throat white in nonbreeding plumage.

Immature Description

Similar to nonbreeding adult.

Range Map Help

Common Murre Range Map
View dynamic map of eBird sightings

Field MarksHelp

Similar Species

  • Very similar to Thick-billed Murre, which has a shorter and thicker bill, a white line on the gape, is blacker on the back, lacks streaked flanks, and in winter, has a darker face. In breeding plumage the white of the breast meets the dark throat in a straight line or shallow inverted "U" in Common Murre, but in a sharp inverted "V" in thick-billed.
  • Razorbill very similar from a distance, but is more robust, and has a deeper and blunter bill, and often holds it longer tail cocked up into the air.