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:

Occurs in dark and pale morph. Plumage recalling gulls more than shearwaters (especially pale morph). Differs from shearwaters in white or pale head, compact body, short and heavy bill and broad wings. Flight pattern distinguishes it from gulls, and is similar to other tubenoses. Glides on stiff wings with occasional bursts of shallow and stiff wing-beats. Pale base of primaries visible at considerable distance in both dark and pale morph. Dark morph most common in high-arctic areas, pale morph most common in southern breeding range.

Sound:

Mostly heard on breeding ground. Coarse, harsh, staccato calls when courting or quarrelling.

Social interaction:

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