Pigeon Guillemot
Cepphus columba
The Pigeon Guillemot (Cepphus columba) is a common auks, puffins, and murr found in 5 countries, weighing about 530 g. The pigeon guillemot is a species of bird in the auk family, Alcidae.
About the Pigeon Guillemot
The pigeon guillemot is a species of bird in the auk family, Alcidae. One of three species in the genus Cepphus, it is most closely related to the spectacled guillemot. There are five subspecies of the pigeon guillemot; all subspecies, when in breeding plumage, are dark brown with a black iridescent sheen and a distinctive wing patch broken by a brown-black wedge. Its non-breeding plumage has mottled grey and black upperparts and white underparts. The long bill is black, as are the claws. The legs, feet, and inside of the mouth are red. It closely resembles the black guillemot, which is slightly smaller and lacks the dark wing wedge present in the pigeon guillemot.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The pigeon guillemot is a medium-sized auk, 30 to 37 cm (12 to 15 in) in length and weighing 450 to 550 g (16 to 19 oz). Both sexes are alike in appearance and mass, except for Californian birds where females were found to have larger bills than males. The summer or breeding plumage of the adult is mostly dark brown with a black sheen, with a white wing patch broken by a brown-black wedge. In winter, the upperparts are iridescent black, often with black fringes giving a scalloped appearance, and the underparts and rump are white.
What the Pigeon Guillemot sounds like
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Mexico.
When to see it
Best months: January, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, with peak activity in August. It is a summer visitor species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Pigeon Guillemot?
- The pigeon guillemot is a medium-sized auk, 30 to 37 cm (12 to 15 in) in length and weighing 450 to 550 g (16 to 19 oz). Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Pigeon Guillemot?
- The Pigeon Guillemot is a large sized bird weighing about 530 g.
- Where can you see a Pigeon Guillemot?
- The Pigeon Guillemot occurs in 5 countries, including the United States, Canada, Russia and Japan.
- What does a Pigeon Guillemot sound like?
- You can listen to a field recording of the Pigeon Guillemot on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to a Pigeon Guillemot?
- The Pigeon Guillemot is most easily confused with the Black Guillemot and the Spectacled Guillemot.
- Is the Pigeon Guillemot endangered?
- The Pigeon Guillemot is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Pigeon Guillemot for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
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