About the Spectacled Guillemot
The spectacled guillemot or sooty guillemot is a seabird in the auk family.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
ID tip
This species is about 38 cm (15 in) long, with red legs, black bill, and a blackish iris. The breeding adult spectacled guillemot is distinctive, mostly plumaged dull sooty-black except for conspicuous white "spectacles" on the face In adult non-breeding plumage, the underparts are white, uniformly tipped very pale grey-brown. Transitional birds are like breeding adults, except the underparts are scaled with white. Sexes are alike, but juveniles are separable from adults. There are no subspecies.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where it lives
When to see it
Peak activity in February · a variable species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Pigeon GuillemotCepphus columbaThe 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).
Black GuillemotCepphus grylleThe black guillemot is a medium-sized bird with adults normally 30 to 32 centimetres (12 to 12+1⁄2 inches) in length and with wingspans of 52 to 58 cm (20+1⁄2 to 23 in).
Learn the Spectacled 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.
Play BeakBrainEvery photo and recording on this page is credited to its author under the licence shown. Spotted a problem with this page, or have a better photo? Contribute.