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Razorbill Alca torda
One of the many birds that inhabit the Arctic area is the Razorbill. The world population of the Razorbill is over 100,000 breeding pairs and about 25,000 nest in Atlantic Canada. The English name Razorbill derives from the bird's bill looking like an old-fashioned cut throat razor. The Razorbill is an unusual visitor along most coasts and birders rarely see them along the shore in summer and winter months except in the main breeding colonies. As many as 500 birds nest at one time on their grounds. In the spring and fall months of the year the Razorbill is a regular visitor along the Atlantic and Fundy coasts but, rarely seen after the middle of May and less common in winter. It usually reaches its destination in the middle of October. The Razorbill as an adult stands about 17 inches tall. The colors of the Razorbill's upper parts in summer show black like the color of soot. The sides of head and throat have a soft brown tint and the Razorbill's chest, stomach and a line from eye to its beak are ivory colored. Their beak is black and crossed by a white band. In the winter months the adult Razorbill does not have white on its sides, neck and eye slash. The immature Razorbill have colors like the adult except it has a smaller bill without the white band. The inside color of its mouth is bright yellow and their eye is black. The Arctic inhabitant, the Razorbill is one of the rare breeding auks in North America. They line the nest with a few pebbles and often line it with bits of plant matter. After mating the female lays one greenish blue to creamy white, all spotted and streaked with dark brown egg on uncovered rocks or on the bare ground on the rocky precipice of seacoast islands. She begins to lay her one egg at the end of May or the early days of June on wide ledges with cracks and breaks in the ground. The female sits on the eggs for about five weeks and then the chick hatches. The new born Razorbill chick stays on the nest for about 2 1/2 weeks and then takes to the sea with its parents. At this time the immature bird weighs about one third as much as an adult and needs another 60 days to reach its adult size and grow its full plumage. Go To Page: 1 2
The copyright of the article Razorbill in Arctic Wildlife is owned by Fred J. Kane. Permission to republish Razorbill in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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