# Common Murre (*Uria aalge*) The Common Murre is a sleek bird that looks a bit like a penguin. It dives deep to catch fish and is very good at swimming! - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 5 - **Habitat:** Coastal areas and rocky cliffs - **Also known as:** Guillemot ![Common Murre](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771426576/objects/4628.jpg) ## Appearance The Common Murre is a sleek, black-and-white seabird with a slender body and short wings, often looking dark brown in dimmer light. It has a sharp, pointed bill and an upright posture both in water and on land. Some have a distinct white eye-ring with a stripe behind the eye. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Charadriiformes - **Family:** Alcidae - **Genus:** Uria ## Interesting facts - Murre chicks jump from cliffs at just 2-3 weeks old, before they can fly! - Some Murres have a white "bridle" pattern around their eye, like tiny glasses! - Their single egg is pear-shaped, preventing it from rolling off narrow cliff ledges! - They gather in huge, noisy colonies, sometimes with hundreds of thousands of birds! ## Special abilities - **Underwater Flight:** Common Murre can "fly" underwater using its powerful, short wings, which helps them chase fast-moving fish deep below the surface. - **Deep Diver:** Common Murre can dive to impressive depths of over 150 meters (nearly 500 feet), allowing them to hunt for prey far beneath the waves. - **Cliff Navigator:** Common Murre has amazing balance that helps them safely nest on narrow, precarious cliff ledges, protecting their single egg. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 38-46 cm - **Wingspan:** 61-73 cm - **Weight:** 0.8-1.2 kg - **Lifespan:** 15-30 years - **Speed:** 80 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 1 - **Incubation:** 28-34 days - **Migration Distance:** 500 km ## Diet & Feeding These seabirds are expert underwater hunters, mainly feasting on small fish and ocean critters. - **Age differences:** Young chicks are fed regurgitated fish by their parents; they start fishing for themselves after fledging. - **Primary Foods:** Capelin, Sandlance, Herring, Cod, Small crustaceans, Squid - **Foraging Method:** Pursuit ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Bald Eagle](https://www.snappit.app/explore/bald-eagle) (*Haliaeetus leucocephalus*) — Adults and chicks are hunted by this large coastal raptor. - **Eaten by:** [Herring Gull](https://www.snappit.app/explore/herring-gull) (*Larus argentatus*) — Gulls prey on murre eggs and young chicks in colonies. - **Eaten by:** [Orca](https://www.snappit.app/explore/orca) (*Orcinus orca*) — Prey on adult murres while they are at sea. - **Hunts:** Capelin (*Mallotus villosus*) — A primary food source, pursued by murres underwater. - **Hunts:** Pacific Sand Lance (*Ammodytes hexapterus*) — Murres dive deep to catch these schooling fish. ## Traits - [Wildlife](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats. - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Aerial](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aerial): Aerial creatures spend a significant portion of their lives airborne, utilizing flight for various activities such as hunting, migration, or nesting. - [Piscivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/piscivorous): Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish. - [Coastal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/coastal): Coastal habitats are dynamic environments located along the interface between land and sea, influenced by tides, waves, and saltwater. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Watch quietly from a distance and never try to feed or chase wild animals. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Common Murre? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Common Murre? 38-46 cm ### What is Common Murre's wingspan? 61-73 cm ### How much does Common Murre weigh? 0.8-1.2 kg ### How long does Common Murre live? 15-30 years ### How fast can Common Murre move? 80 km/h ### What does Common Murre eat? These seabirds are expert underwater hunters, mainly feasting on small fish and ocean critters. ### Where is Common Murre usually found? Coastal areas and rocky cliffs ## Where to spot - [Discovery Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/discovery-park) — Washington, US · Nature Reserve - [Point Dume State Beach](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/point-dume-state-beach) — California, US · State Park - [Oregon Coast Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/oregon-coast-aquarium) — Oregon, US · Aquarium - [Marineland of the Pacific](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/marineland-of-the-pacific-california) — California, US · Zoo - [Marineland of the Pacific](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/marineland-of-the-pacific) — California, US · Aquarium - [Shokanbetsu-Teuri-Yagishiri Quasi-National Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/shokanbetsu-teuri-yagishiri-quasi-national-park) — Hokkaido, JP · Park [View all places to see Common Murre](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/common-murre) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Common Murre: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-murre)