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:

Rarely seen, small petrel. Compact with shorter wings and tail, and blacker plumage than Leach's Storm-Petrel. Squared, unforked tail. White patch on upper tail coverts that reaches down on each side, with more square-cut edges than in Leach's. Also lacks the grey upper wing-band of latter, but shows white stripe on underside of wing. Flight-pattern bat-like with quick fluttering wing-beats and less powerful, and only short, gliding sequences. Sometimes patters with feet on the surface or rests on water. Visits breeding ground at night.

Sound:

Heard at breeding ground. Dry, cyclic, rattling and cooing, interrupted by deeper nasal moaning or a higher pitched "kee-ee-kee", with emphasis on second syllable.

Song:

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

CC-sound:Dougie Preston, Licence,Link.