Razorbill
Alca torda
Where is it found?
Coastlines
Diet and foraging method
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Swims on the surface of the sea before diving deep in pursuit of its prey. Razorbills can consume several fish in a single dive.
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Key adaptations
As implied by its name, the Razorbills beak is very sharp which is useful for fighting off predators and gripping slippery fish.
Social organisation and mating system
Live in large, mixed seabird colonies during the breeding season. Often having Guillemots, Kittiwakes, Shags and Puffins as neighbours.
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Most individuals form monogamous breeding pairs, however, some females seek extra pair copulations.
Did you know that...?
A female Razorbill was ringed in 1962 and resighted in 2000, 38 years later.
Razorbills can dive up to 120m down into the murky ocean depths when pursuing prey.
Razorbills can dive up to 120m down into the murky ocean depths when pursuing prey.
Taxonomy
Picture credits:
Maps from: http://species.mol.org/species/
"Alca torda (Marek Szczepanek)" by Marek Szczepanek - Own work. Licenced under GFDL via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alca_torda_(Marek_Szczepanek).jpg#/media/File:Alca_torda_(Marek_Szczepanek).jpg
"Alce torda 3 (Martin Mecnarowski)" by Martin Mecnarowski (http://www.photomecan.eu/) - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alce_torda_3_(Martin_Mecnarowski).jpg#/media/File:Alce_torda_3_(Martin_Mecnarowski).jpg
"Flickr - Rainbirder - Razorbill" by Steve Garvie from Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland - Razorbill. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Flickr_-_Rainbirder_-_Razorbill.jpg#/media/File:Flickr_-_Rainbirder_-_Razorbill.jpg
"Alca torda MHNT Île Rouzic" by Didier Descouens - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alca_torda_MHNT_%C3%8Ele_Rouzic.jpg#/media/File:Alca_torda_MHNT_%C3%8Ele_Rouzic.jpg
"Alca torda Alle allePL" by Johann Friedrich Naumann (digitized by Peter v. Sengbusch) - http://www.biologie.uni-hamburg.de/b-online/birds/1613_14.htm. Licenced under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alca_torda_Alle_allePL.jpg#/media/File:Alca_torda_Alle_allePL.jpg
"Alca torda (Marek Szczepanek)" by Marek Szczepanek - Own work. Licenced under GFDL via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alca_torda_(Marek_Szczepanek).jpg#/media/File:Alca_torda_(Marek_Szczepanek).jpg
"Alce torda 3 (Martin Mecnarowski)" by Martin Mecnarowski (http://www.photomecan.eu/) - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alce_torda_3_(Martin_Mecnarowski).jpg#/media/File:Alce_torda_3_(Martin_Mecnarowski).jpg
"Flickr - Rainbirder - Razorbill" by Steve Garvie from Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland - Razorbill. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Flickr_-_Rainbirder_-_Razorbill.jpg#/media/File:Flickr_-_Rainbirder_-_Razorbill.jpg
"Alca torda MHNT Île Rouzic" by Didier Descouens - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alca_torda_MHNT_%C3%8Ele_Rouzic.jpg#/media/File:Alca_torda_MHNT_%C3%8Ele_Rouzic.jpg
"Alca torda Alle allePL" by Johann Friedrich Naumann (digitized by Peter v. Sengbusch) - http://www.biologie.uni-hamburg.de/b-online/birds/1613_14.htm. Licenced under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alca_torda_Alle_allePL.jpg#/media/File:Alca_torda_Alle_allePL.jpg