Razorbill (Alca torda)

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A Field Guide to Eastern Birds. by Roger Tory Peterson.

Return to Eastern Alcids

Color Photograph: © Corel Corporation

Razorbill (Alca torda)

Identification: Length from tip of bill to tip of tail 17 inches.

Summer Plumage: About the size of a crow. Head, neck and back all black. Underside white. Bill large, laterally flattened, with a hooked tip, and with white bands. A narrow white line connects the eye to the base of the bill. Rear margin of the wing with a fine, white border.

Winter Plumage: Similar to the summer plumage, but neck and throat white.

Similar Species:  The large size of the Razorbill, its large, flattened bill with white bands, and the white line between the base of the bill and the eye easily distinguishes this species from other eastern alcids.

Breeding Range (see map below): The Razorbill breeds on the rocky shores of eastern North America from the far northern Canadian islands southward to Maine. The species is also found in northern Europe.

Overwintering Range:  This species overwinters at sea along the eastern coast of North America from Labrador in the north to New Jersey in the south.

Habitat: The Razorbill breeds on rocky shorelines. At all other times it is found at sea off the coast.

Food: Fish, shrimp, and squid.

Behavior: The Razorbill is an oceanic bird spending most of its time at sea off the coasts of North America. This species commonly holds its tail and head upward. During cold winter periods the Razorbill sometimes moves southward. The birds are excellent divers. The voice is a series of growls and croaks.

Reproduction:  The clutch consists of a single brown-spotted egg. The egg is laid on a rocky cliff or shoreline.