Common Murre

Uria aalge

Common Murre

Uria aalge

Other Common Names
Common Guillemot, Foolish Guillemot

Seabird Aviary

Other Common Names

Common Guillemot, Foolish Guillemot

At the Aquarium

Seabird Aviary

Appearance

The common murre is a medium-sized bird that is around 16 in (40 cm) tall and on average weighs a little over 2 lbs (67.5 g). Both males and females look identical in both breeding and nonbreeding plumage. While in breeding plumage, the common murre has a white underside with a black head and back. Nonbreeding plumage sees the common murre gain a white throat, chin, and cheeks. Breeding plumage can be seen from early spring to late summer. Some populations in the Atlantic Ocean have a white detailing around their eyes that resembles winged eyeliner.

Habitat

Open ocean, rocky cliffs

Diet

Various small fish, squid, small crustaceans

Life History

Common murres are known as seabirds because they spend most of the year in the open ocean. In late spring these sea birds will migrate to seaside cliffs and offshore rocks. The common murre will gather in the thousands and create colonies where pairs of birds lay their single egg on the bare rocks. The parents will take turns flying out to sea to gather food for the chicks. By the end of summer, the common murre chicks will jump into the ocean and migrate out to the open ocean. Common murres typically live into their mid-20s in the wild and will commonly stay with the same mate for their entire lives.

IUCN Status

Not Evaluated

Ecosystem & Cultural Importance

During the nesting season, as the common murre flies between the open sea and coastline, they bring nutrients to the coastline. The waste of the common murre can act as fertilizer for various coastal plants.

California to Alaska to Japan; Virginia to Greenland; Portugal to Norway

A large colony of around 65,000 common murres can be found every summer at the Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area in Newport, Oregon.

Common murre eggs are teardrop shaped! This unique shape means that if the egg begins rolling around the cliffside nesting sites, it is unlikely to roll very far. The teardrop shape can also help the chick inside the egg to breathe. Since common murres nest directly on the rocks, their eggs get covered in mud and waste. The bottom of the egg never rests on the ground and has more pores that allow the chick to easily breathe through the egg. The common murre egg comes in a variety of colors and patterns. This variety helps individual pairs of birds tell whose egg is whose.

Citations & Other Resources

Cornell Lab of Ornithology. 2024. Common Murre. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Murre/overview
Birkhead, T. R., J. R., Thompson, R., Montgomerie. 2018. The pyriform egg of the Common Murre (Uria aalge) is more stable on sloping surfaces. The Auk. 135(4):1020-1032.
Birkhead, T. R., J., Thompson, R., J. D. Biggins. 2017. Egg shape in the Common Guillemot Uria aalge and Brunnich’s Guillemot U. lomvia: not a rolling matter?. Journal of Ornithology. 158(3):679-685.
Tschanz, B. 1959. Zur Brutbiologie der Trottellumme (Uria aalge aalge Pont.). Behaviour. 14:1-100.
The Bureau of Land Management. 2024. Explore Yaquina Head. https://www.blm.gov/learn/interpretive-centers/yaquina/explore

Common Murre

Common Murre

Other Common Names

At the Aquarium

Appearance

Habitat

Diet

Life History

IUCN Status

Ecosystem & Cultural Importance

Citations & Other Resources

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