The auks, murres and puffins (family Alcidae) are a family of birds belonging to the order Charadriiformes, often regarded as shorebirds. These charismatic seabirds generally breed in very high density colonies on cliffs facing the sea, mostly on uninhabited small islands, although certain taxa are known to breed on top of old-growth trees up to 95 km away from the sea. A commonality among these birds is that they feed on fish and crustaceans and spend the winter out at sea, albeit generally at similar latitudes of those of the breeding grounds. They generally have black-and-white plumages, albeit the fine breeding plumage of some species features bright-colored bills or legs.
The family comprises 24 extant species in 10 genera. Puffins, belonging to genus Fratercula (3 species) breed in North Atlantic and Pacific. Auklets, belonging to basal Cerorhinca (1 species) and genera Ptychoramphus (1 species) and Aethia (4 species) are distributed in the North Pacific, as so are the murrelets of genera Synthliboramphus (5 species) and Brachyramphus (3 species). North Atlantic genus Alca (1 species) is closely related to the extinct Pinguinus (1 species). The genus Alle (1 species), the guillemots of genus Cepphus (3 species) and the murres of genus Uria (2 species) are also found in both oceans.
Hornøya, Varanger Peninsula, Norway, 16 May 2024
Atlantic puffin
Fratercula arctica
Charismatic inhabitant of high latitude isolated island cliffs of the North Atlantic, where they usually dig burrows to nest, unlike other members of the family. They are mobile along the pelagic zone during the winter time, with good numbers entering the Mediterranean or venturing south of the Canary Islands. I have the species at its breeding grounds in summer in Lapland and in spring at the Gibraltar Strait in passage as birds left the Mediterranean.
Ekkerøy, Varanger Peninsula, Norway, 3 Jun 2023
Black guillemot
Cepphus grylle
Distributed along the high Arctic and only breeding in somewhat lower latitudes within the North Atlantic, with presence in Nova Scotia, the British Isles or the Baltic Sea — where it is the only species of the family breeding. While they spend the winter out at sea, they generally do not move long distances and are rare vagrants further south. I have encountered the species at different breeding sites in Lapland.
Hornøya, Varanger Peninsula, Norway, 16 May 2024
Razorbill
Alca torda
Endemic to the North Atlantic, where it breeds in high density colonies in high latitudes south to Brittany or Nova Scotia, wintering out at sea generally at more southern latitudes that other members of the family in the region. They are the closest relative to the extinct great auk, a giant member of the family which weighed 10 times more. I have seen this species at breeding site in Lapland and wintering at sea in Alicante, where influxes of the species take place on some years.
Hornøya, Varanger Peninsula, Norway, 4 Jun 2023
Thick-billed murre
Uria lomvia
Living far north in the high Arctic, with breeding colonies reaching south to Iceland, Terranova and the Kuriles, they are one of the most abundant marine species on the Northern Hemisphere, and are also known to have the smallest territory of all birds at their colony. Their rather thick bill has a distinctive white edge at the mandible. I have observed this species in Lapland, where they breed in low density.
Hornøya, Varanger Peninsula, Norway, 4 Jun 2023
Common murre
Uria aalge
Breeds in high-density colonies on coastal cliffs of high latitudes south to Portugal and California and winters out at sea, generally around similar latitudes. Birds of the North Atlantic are polymorphic, with part of the population being “bridled”, showing a white bridle around the eye only in breeding plumage. I have seen this species at breeding site in Lapland.
