Common Murre (also known as the Common Guillemot or Murre)

The Common Murre is a large auk with a dark chocolate-brown head, back, and wings, contrasted with clean white underparts. Built for aquatic pursuit-diving, they possess dense plumage, powerful wings used for underwater flight, and a striking, torpedo-shaped body. They gather in massive, densely packed breeding colonies on narrow rocky ledges.

Rich dark brownish-black or charcoal tip graduating into a soft greyish-brown middle zone and a clean white base, typical of upperparts countershading in diving seabirds

Pennaceous at the distal tip transitioning smoothly into a plumulaceous (fluffy/downy) structure at the proximal base; barbs are intact with standard hooklets

Slender, flexible, slightly curved pale white to translucent rachis with moderately dense barbs angled uniformly

Smooth, slightly glossy appearance on the dark distal portion with a soft, downy texture near the base to trap air for insulation

Scapular or upper back contour feather, determined by the curved, dark-tipped shape and semi-fluffy base designed for insulation and sleek contouring

Distinctive dark brown to charcoal tip sharply or gradually fading to white at the base, characteristic of the countershaded plumage of pelagic alcids

Marine pelagic environments, rocky coastal cliffs, islands, and cold northern oceans

Circumpolar in northern cold-water regions, breeding along rocky coasts and islands of the North Atlantic and North Pacific, including Nova Scotia

Important marine apex predator and forage fish consumer, serving as a key bioindicator for the health of northern marine ecosystems

Thick-billed Murre (Uria lomvia), Razorbill (Alca torda), and Dovekie (Alle alle); distinguished by subtle differences in exact coloration gradients and size

Common Murres lay uniquely pear-shaped (pyriform) eggs which roll in a tight circle rather than tumbling off narrow cliff ledges when disturbed

Historically harvested for meat and eggs by coastal populations and indigenous groups; contemporary feather collections are subject to strict wildlife laws

Look near rocky nesting colonies, coastal tide lines, and storm wrack along northern shores where seabird molted feathers wash ashore

Good condition, showing minimal wear with intact barbs and a clean shaft

Nova Scotia