Guillemot is the common name for several species of seabird in the Alcidae or auk family, part of the order Charadriiformes. In Europe, the term covers two genera, Uria and Cepphus. In North America the Uria species are called murres and only the Cepphus species are called "guillemots".

A hardy bird with a rich black-and-white plumage and showstopping red legs, Black Guillemots are a highlight of the cold rocky coasts of the North Atlantic and Arctic. These duck-sized seabirds forage close to shore, flapping their small wings to power deep dives for fish and invertebrates near the sea bottom.

A hardy bird with a rich black-and-white plumage and showstopping red legs, Black Guillemots are a highlight of the cold rocky coasts of the North Atlantic and Arctic. These duck-sized seabirds forage close to shore, flapping their small wings to power deep dives for fish and invertebrates near the sea bottom.

In the northeast, this bird may be seen swimming and diving around rocky shorelines. A 'Black' Guillemot only in summer, it looks mostly frosty white in winter. Very similar to Pigeon Guillemot of Pacific Coast, and overlaps with it locally in Alaska.

The common murre or common guillemot (Uria aalge) is a large auk. It has a circumpolar distribution, occurring in low-Arctic and boreal waters in the North Atlantic and North Pacific . It spends most of its time at sea, only coming to land to breed on rocky cliff shores or islands.

The black guillemot or tystie (Cepphus grylle) is a medium-sized seabird of the Alcidae family, native throughout northern Atlantic coasts and eastern North American coasts. It is resident in much of its range, but large populations from the high arctic migrate southwards in winter.

The UK's coasts have many stretches of steep cliffs where seabirds breed. The Guillemot is one of the most common birds in the great 'seabird cities'. It comes to land only to nest, spending the rest of its life at sea, where it is vulnerable to oil spills.

The Pigeon Guillemot is an attractive auk that nests on rocky coastlines of the North Pacific. Its velvety, dark brown plumage is set off by a bright white patch in the upperwing and vivid scarlet feet. In winter, the black underparts are replaced with dingy white feathering.

The Black Guillemot (Cepphus grylle) is a lively member of the bird life on Eastern Egg Rock. The pigeon-sized Guillemots dance atop the big boulders and nest in burrows among the rocks. The one in the picture has a fish called a Sand Eel that it is going to feed its young.

Learn more about Black Guillemot from… Small seabird of coastal areas of the North Atlantic and Alaska. Breeding plumage is entirely black with bold white patch on wings and bright red legs. Changes dramatically in winter to whitish overall with some dusky markings on …