Razorbill (Alca torda)

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The razorbill is also apart of the Auk family like the puffins. They look more like the guillemots but they are easily recognizable by their deep, flat-sided bill with white bands along the length and vertical band rear the tip. Their eggs are uniquely patterned so that the parents can locate them on the densely populated cliff ledges.

Average Length: 38 cm
Average Weight: 710 g
Wingspan: 66 cm
Diet: Sandeels, capelin, herring, crustaceans
Est. population around Iceland: ~ 300,000 pairs
Residence Period: All year round
Nesting habitat: Cliffs
Nesting Period: Late May to Mid July
Clutch size (No eggs): 1
Incubation time (days): 32-39
Fledging time: 14-24
Typical life span (years): 13
Age at first breeding (years): 4
IUCN world Status: Least concern
Major Threats: Climate change, over fishing, entanglement in fishing gear, predation, pollution, overhunting
Other Names: Álka, Alk, Ruokki, Tordalk, Gazza marina, Alka zwyczajna, Alca, Alk, Petit Pingouin, Alka, Alke, Torda-mergulheira, Tordmule