Pigeon Guillemot
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| Pigeon Guillemot | ||||||||||||||
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| Cepphus columba Pallas, 1811 |
The Pigeon Guillemot (Cepphus columba) is a medium-sized alcid.
Adult birds have black bodies with a white wing patch broken by a black wedge, a thin dark bill and red legs and feet. They are similar in appearance to the Black Guillemot but show dark wing linings in flight. In winter, the upperparts are mottled grey and black and the underparts are white.
Missing image
Pigen_guillemot.jpg
Pigen_guillemot.jpg
Pigeon Guillemot on South East Farallon Island
Their breeding habitat is rocky shores, cliffs and islands on northern Pacific coasts in western North America from Alaska to California. They usually lay their eggs in rocky sites near water.
Birds in Alaska migrate south to open waters.
They dive for food from the surface, swimming underwater. They mainly eat fish and other aquatic animals.