Pigeon Guillemot Identification

The Four Keys to ID

• Size & Shape

  A medium-sized seabird with a small head and medium-length, sharply pointed bill. The neck and tail are fairly short; the wings are short and narrow (helps with “flying” underwater).

  Relative Size

  Larger than a Pied-billed Grebe, smaller than a Common Murre.

  crow-sized

  Measurements

  • Both Sexes
  • • Length: 11.8-13.8 in (30-35 cm)
    • Weight: 15.9-19.4 oz (450-550 g)
    • Wingspan: 21.6-23.2 in (55-59 cm)

  © Ken Oeser / Macaulay Library

• Color Pattern

  Adult in breeding plumage is mostly dark brown (black from a distance), with dark underwings and white patches in upperwings that are partly broken by a black bar. The feet and interior of the mouth are vivid scarlet. Adults in nonbreeding plumage retain white wing patches but have a mostly whitish head, neck, and underparts. Juveniles are similar but with grayish feathers on the head, neck, and sides and less white in the upperwing.

• Behavior

  The Pigeon Guillemot dives and swims underwater, flapping its wings for propulsion. It catches fish, worms, and crustaceans one at a time, seizing them from between rocks, among algae, or in the water. It usually forages alone and away from other species as well. Breeds in rocky crevices along the coast or on islands and feeds very near nest sites.
• Habitat

  Nests on rocky islands, shorelines, and cliffs. Forages near the ocean shoreline and in openings in sea ice.