Animalia Life
Cepphus grylle
TAXONOMY
Cepphus grille Linnaeus, 1758, Baltic Sea. Five subspecies.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
English: Tystie; French: Guillemot а miroir; German: Gryllteiste;
Spanish: Arao Aliblanco.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
11.8–13 in (30–33 cm); 1.6–3.9 oz (325–550 g). Overall black
plumage except for white wing patches and underwing-coverts.
Black bill is slender and pointed; mouth lining, legs, and feet
are red.
DISTRIBUTION
Circumpolar
DISTRIBUTION
, with breeding grounds from the
Gulf of Maine intermittently spaced across the top of North
America to Alaska and across the Arctic coast of Asia. Winters
in the North Atlantic, venturing as far south as France, although
they generally stay closer to shore than many auks.
HABITAT
Rocky shores, including islands, and adjoining seas.
BEHAVIOR
Strongly territorial concerning nesting sites, to which they return
year after year. Rarely nests in mixed colonies with other
species. Engages in courtship displays involving bowing,
whistling, etc. Uses a variety of calls, mostly high-pitched,
while at the breeding grounds. Swimming in line, apparently
for cooperative feeding, has been observed.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Primarily eats fish, but will take many kinds of invertebrates,
including sponges and barnacles.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Normally broods in small groups, and sites may be either very
close to the surf or 1.2–1.9 mi (2–3 km) off. Will use artificial
cover, such as buildings, for nesting sites. Young leave the nest
after 35–39 days. Clutch size is usually two eggs, deposited under
rocks or in deep crevices in cliffs.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Population appears stable, but local threats arise from oil spills
and commercial fishing.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
Some subsistence hunting takes place, but greatly reduced from
the level of a century ago.
Photo Gallery of - Black guillemot
