thick-billed murre

The thick-billed murre (Uria lomvia) is a widely distributed seabird belonging to the auk family (Alcidae). These black and white birds are known for their relatively short, distinctly thick bills.12

Murres, including the thick-billed variety, typically nest in large colonies on steep cliffs, where each pair lays a single egg. The young develop quickly and soon enter the sea with their parents to avoid predators like gulls and skuas. In the autumn, murres migrate by swimming southward. The thick-billed murre often nests further north than its relative, the common murre (Uria aalge), sometimes inhabiting areas within the Arctic Circle where the common murre is absent. In British English, these birds are also referred to as thick-billed guillemots.21