Did you know that there are some birds in the world that do not build a nest to lay their eggs? The thick billed murre is one such species.
It is known for forming breeding colonies on cliffs and laying its eggs directly onto a cliff ledge.
This bird is a type of auk, which means that it has the ability to both swim and fly, and because of its short wings and awkward takeoff, it can swim better than it can fly.
This bird is mostly found in the Arctic Ocean, and the arctic and subarctic regions of North America in Alaska, Greenland, and Canada, as well as in. It is a migratory bird and is known to spend its winters in northern Europe in Russia, the Pacific Ocean in Japan, and the Atlantic Ocean.
Thick billed murres are also called Brünnich's guillemots, named after the Danish zoologist, Mortan Thrane Brünnich. They have two subspecies, one that is smaller than the thick billed murres, and the other that is slightly larger.
Both of them have a different geographical range than the other.
The upright posture of thick billed murres resembles that of penguins, and they can often be confused with the common murre as both of them have a similar black and white plumage. Here are some amazing and interesting facts about these beautiful black and white seabirds!
Thick Billed Murre Interesting Facts
What type of animal is a thick billed murre?
The thick billed murre (Uria lomvia) is a type of bird.
What class of animal does a thick billed murre belong to?
Thick billed murres are members of the class Aves, and the family Alcidae, which consists of birds that are able to swim as well as fly.
How many thick billed murres are there in the world?
Though there are some threats to the numbers of these birds, the population of thick billed murres is considered to be very large and there are estimated to be more than 22 million individuals all over the world.
Most of these birds are found in the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, as well as North American coasts and seas in Canada, Alaska, and Greenland.
Where does a thick billed murre live?
Thick billed murres have a wide geographical range and can almost always be found in Arctic or sub-Arctic waters. In the summer, they can be found among the North American birds of Alaska in the United States, Labrador and Newfoundland in Canada, and Greenland.
They also have nesting sites all across the cliffs and rocky coasts of Scandinavia and the Kuril Islands in Russia.
In the winters, migration occurs and these birds move to the sea, away from open ice, and southwards towards Nova Scotia and British Columbia. These birds have also been found in the mid-Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean near northern Japan.
What is a thick billed murre's habitat?
This species of seabirds is known to prefer the open sea and oceans, except for in the summer during their breeding season, when they can be seen in large colonies at their nesting sites located on a rocky cliff or coast.
These birds can also occupy a crevice or cave on a cliff, but this is not common. They are incredible swimmers and are known to be one of the finest divers out of all North American birds as they regularly dive down into the sea to forage for small fish to feed on.
They will often be seen in larger numbers on the coast of an island rather than on a mainland coast.
Who do thick billed murres live with?
In the summer, thick billed birds form large breeding colonies on cliffs that consist of many breeding pairs. The female birds of these colonies are said to lay their eggs at the same time so they can hatch around the same time.
This is done so that the whole colony, along with the young juveniles, will be able to leave the nesting site to begin their migration away from open ice. While migrating, they form flocks and migrate to their wintering areas in the south of their range.
How long does a thick billed murre live?
A Brünnich's guillemot has a long lifespan of 25-29 years in the wild. This may be because of their adaptability in response to threats like climate change, as they now forage for warmer water fish as well as the ones found in cold environments. Egg-laying also occurs earlier than ever before due to hotter weather arriving sooner.
How do they reproduce?
Thick billed murres become sexually mature at five to six years of age and form very large breeding colonies on rocky coasts and steep cliffs.
The breeding season for birds starts in April when they arrive at their nesting sites, and egg-laying begins at the end of May. The females lay a single egg every year.
These birds, like the common murres and common potoos, do not build a nest to lay their egg but instead, deposit them on a surface.
In the case of thick billed murres, eggs are laid by the female on a cliff ledge. The eggs of this species are pear-shaped so they do not roll and fall off the ledge if disturbed.
However, the females secure their eggs with small stones, debris, and feces to make a nest-like structure and secure their position.
These eggs are incubated for 30-35 days by both the parents, who rarely leave the eggs unattended to prevent them from getting eaten by predators like glaucous gulls and common ravens. Adults are known to forage for food far away from the nesting site.
The chicks fledge in about 21 days, after which the female leaves the nesting area, and the male takes care of the young juvenile for a few weeks before leaving the cliffs for the open sea as well.
What is their conservation status?
This species of bird is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List, because of its large population and the ability to adapt to any habitat. Though there are still a few threats to their numbers, they are not significantly affecting the population of these birds.
Thick Billed Murre Fun Facts
What do thick billed murres look like?
The thick billed murres have black and white plumage with short, thick bills marked by a white stripe. Their wings, head, neck, and back are black in color while the underparts are white.
In the winter, they go through a molting period where they are flightless, after which the lower side of their face turns white.
They have webbed feet that help them swim in the sea and short legs. These birds are mostly distinguished from the common murres, which also occur in North America, by their larger size and the white stripe on their bills as the common murres have a stripe on top of their eyes and not their bills.
How cute are they?
This bird species can be justly considered very cute, owing to their beautiful and sleek black and white plumage.
How do they communicate?
The thick billed murres communicate with each other using their bird calls. The calls of chicks are higher-pitched whereas those of adults are lower-pitched cackling sounds. Their bird call is quite similar to that of a common murre.
How big is a thick billed murre?
A Brünnich's guillemot is about 16-19 in (40-48 cm) long, which is slightly bigger than a common murre, but smaller than a rhinoceros auklet in length. All of these birds belong to the same family, that is, Alcidae.
How fast can a thick billed murre fly?
Though the thick billed murres are better swimmers and have short wings and an awkward walk and take off, they can fly up to the speed of 75 mph (120 kph) using their short wings!
How much does a thick billed murre weigh?
This bird species can weigh about 26-52 oz (736-1,480 g).
What are the male and female names of the species?
There are no sex-specific names for this bird species.
What would you call a baby thick billed murre?
A baby thick billed murre can be called a chick. After it fledges but is not an adult yet, it is called a juvenile.
What do they eat?
This diet of this species is carnivorous and mainly prey on small fish species, crustaceans, marine worms, and zooplankton by diving down into the sea and using their short wings to swim.
Are they dangerous?
These birds are not harmful to human beings at all, and only show aggression among themselves in their colonies.
Would they make a good pet?
It is unclear whether this bird species can become a pet as it would be difficult to recreate the conditions of their natural habitat.
Did you know...
An egg of an older and much more experienced female of this species is usually much bigger in size than the egg of a female who is inexperienced. There is also a higher chance of chicks surviving if their mother is more experienced.
How deep can a murre dive?
These murres are excellent swimmers and have the unique capability of diving down to the depths of more than 330 ft (100 m) to forage for food in the sea.
How many eggs do thick billed murre lay?
Like most birds of their family, thick billed murres lay only one egg each year in the month of May. These birds do not build a nest and are known to lay their eggs directly onto the stony surface of the cliff on which their nesting site is situated.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! To know more about other birds, check out our magpie fun facts and hawk interesting facts for kids.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable birds of prey coloring pages.