Razorbill
Alca torda
Razorbills literally 'fly' underwater, using their wings to propel themselves to depths of up to 120 meters in search of fish.
- Scientific name
- Alca torda
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Charadriiformes › Alcidae › Alca
- IUCN Red List status
- Near Threatened
- Population trend
- decreasing
- Biome
- aquatic
- Habitat
- Coastal cliffs, rocky islands, and open marine waters of the subarctic and temperate North Atlantic.
- Diet
- Small schooling fish (such as sand eels, herrings, and sprats) and occasionally marine invertebrates.
- Range
- North Atlantic Ocean, Coasts of Eastern North America, Coasts of Western Europe, Iceland, Greenland
- Size
- Wingspan of 60-69 cm, weight of 500-890 grams.
- Lifespan
- Approximately 13-20 years in the wild.
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Overfishing of prey species, climate change affecting food availability, oil spills, marine plastic pollution, and gillnet entanglement.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless to humans but defensive if cornered on nesting cliffs. Maintain a safe distance of at least 20 meters from nesting colonies to avoid disturbing breeding pairs. If a chick is found on a beach, do not touch it; parents are likely nearby. If bitten by its sharp beak, wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water to prevent infection.
The razorbill ( Alca torda ) is a colonial seabird that comes to land only to breed. This agile bird chooses one partner for life; females lay one egg per year. Razorbills nest along coastal cliffs in enclosed or slightly exposed crevices. The parents spend equal amounts of time incubating. Once the chick has hatched, the parents take turns foraging for their young and sometimes fly long distances before finding prey.
Photo: Melissa McMasters, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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