Appearance:

Small and compact auk. Bill short and blunt, tail and wings short. Scapular feathers with characteristic white brims. Differs from young Puffin by white "thighs", white throat and only faint neck collar (in winter). Often difficult to spot when swimming in waves, and more often seen when flying. Take-off from water surface easy and direct. Flight less constricted than larger auks, and changes direction frequently and with ease.

Sound:

Voice higher pitched than other auks (except Black Guillemot). Trilling, rolling and chattering laughter "kreeee he he he he", or shorter, softer utterances; "ke ke" or "hup hup".

Contact call:

Distribution:

Xeno-canto: map

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

Sounds:Recorded by Stein Ø. Nilsen,http://www.xeno-canto.org ,CC license

Appearance:

At a distance quite similar to Guillemot. Bill deep, rectangular and with white markings. Flanks unstreaked and armpits white. Tail longer than in Guillemot, with legs not protruding behind tail in flight. Tail often held clear of the surface when swimming. Cheeks white in winter, with broad, short and black eye stripe. Neck collar short and wide. Upperparts blacker, and underparts whiter than Guillemot. Heavy neck, head and bill, in combination with the long tail, gives it a front heavy, and different profile from Guillemot, whether perched, swimming or flying. Top of head in line with tip of uptilted bill when swimming.

Sound:

Very coarse and deep voice. Grunting or snore-like, with little phrasing. Mostly heard at breeding ground, but also sometimes at sea.

Contact call:

Distribution:

Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

Sounds:Recorded by Simon Elliott,http://www.xeno-canto.org ,CC license