On Skomer Island, Pembrokeshire, Wales Pair of Razorbills calling, recorded on Skokholm, Wales
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1] (Global)
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[2] (Europe)
Scientific classification
Domain:
Eukaryota
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Aves
Order:
Charadriiformes
Family:
Alcidae
Genus:
Alca
Species:
A. torda
Binomial name
Alca torda
Linnaeus, 1758
Subspecies[3]
A. t. torda - Linnaeus, 1758
A. t. islandica - Brehm, CL, 1831
The razorbill, razor-billed auk,[4] or lesser auk[5] (Alca torda) is a North Atlantic colonial seabird and the only extant member of the genus Alca of the family Alcidae, the auks. It is the closest living relative of the extinct great auk (Pinguinus impennis).[6]
Razorbills are primarily black with a white underside. The male and female are identical in plumage; however, males are generally larger than females. This agile bird, which is capable of both flight and diving, has a predominantly aquatic lifestyle and only comes to land in order to breed. It is monogamous, choosing one partner for life. Females lay one egg per year. Razorbills nest along coastal cliffs in enclosed or slightly exposed crevices. The parents spend equal amounts of time incubating, and once the chick has hatched, they take turns foraging for their young.
In 1918, the razorbill was protected in the United States by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Presently, this species faces major threats, including the destruction of breeding sites,[7] oil spills,[8] and deterioration of food quality. The IUCN records the population of the species as fluctuating,[1] causing its status to interchange. It has been recorded that the population had increased from 2008 to 2015,[9] decreased from 2015 to 2021,[10] and appears to be increasing or stable at the present.[1] It is estimated that the current global razorbill population lies between 838,000 to 1,600,000 individuals.[1]
^ abcdBirdLife International (17 August 2021). "Alca torda (Razorbill)". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 17 August 2021: e.T22694852A228697220. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T22694852A228697220.en. Retrieved 18 April 2024.|date= / |doi= mismatch
^BirdLife International (18 December 2020). "Alca torda (Razorbill)". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 18 December 2020: e.T22694852A166289520. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T22694852A166289520.en. Retrieved 18 April 2024.|date= / |doi= mismatch
^Gill F, D Donsker & P Rasmussen (Eds). 2020. IOC World Bird List (v10.2). doi : 10.14344/IOC.ML.10.2.
^American Ornithologists' Union (1931), A Check-List of North American Birds (4th ed.), Lancaster, PA: Lancaster Press, p. 144
^Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, Volume 13 (Edinburgh: Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, 1879), ISBN 9781248434567
^Moum, Truls; Arnason, Ulfur; Árnason, Einar (2002). "Mitochondrial DNA sequence evolution and phylogeny of the Atlantic Alcidae, including the extinct Great Auk (Pinguinus impennis)". Molecular Biology and Evolution. 19 (9). Oxford: Oxford University Press: 1434–1439. doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.molbev.a004206. PMID 12200471.
^Lavers, Jennifer; Hipfner, J. Mark; Chapdelaine, Gilles (28 October 2009). "Razorbill - Introduction - Birds of North America Online". birdsna.org. doi:10.2173/bow.razorb.01. S2CID 216173366. Retrieved 6 September 2018.
^Leopold, Mardik (January 2004). "The Tricolor oil spill: Characteristics of seabirds found oiled in the Netherlands".
^BirdLife International (1 May 2009). "Alca torda (Razorbill)". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 1 May 2009: e.T22694852A23088501. Archived from the original on 19 August 2023. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
^BirdLife International (1 October 2015). "Alca torda (Razorbill)". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 1 October 2015: e.T22694852A82978388. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T22694852A82978388.en. Archived from the original on 18 April 2024. Retrieved 18 April 2024.|date= / |doi= mismatch
The razorbill, razor-billed auk, or lesser auk (Alca torda) is a North Atlantic colonial seabird and the only extant member of the genus Alca of the family...
confirmed morphological and biogeographical studies suggesting that the razorbill is the closest living relative of the great auk. The great auk also was...
Alcidae comes from the genus Alca given by Carl Linnaeus in 1758 for the razorbill (Alca torda) from the Norwegian word alke. Auks are superficially similar...
Me. Razorbill. ISBN 978-1-59514-455-3. Slate, Jenny; Fleischer-Camp, Dean (2014). Marcel the Shell: The Most Surprised I've Ever Been. Razorbill. ISBN 978-1-59514-456-0...
cooler areas to the north: snowy owls, snow buntings, harlequin ducks, and razorbills. These have been seen in the northern part of the state. Invertebrates:...
Pakistani-American author Sabaa Tahir. It was published on March 1, 2022 by Razorbill, an imprint of Penguin Random House. All My Rage is the fifth book written...
with coastal wildlife such as the northern gannet, Atlantic puffin and razorbill. Spurn Point is a narrow 3-mile (4.8 km) long sand spit. It is a national...
United States of America Language English Genre Young adult Publisher RazorBill Publication date October 18, 2007 Media type Print (hardback) Pages 288...
colonies of gannets, Manx shearwater, puffins, kittiwakes, shags and razorbills. In comparison, with 60 per cent of Wales above the 150m contour, the...
by American author Sabaa Tahir. It was published on April 28, 2015 by Razorbill, an imprint of Penguin Random House. It is the first book in the An Ember...
dead link] Duff, Haylie (2013). Real Girl's Kitchen – Haylie Duff book. Razorbill. ISBN 978-1595146830. Wikimedia Commons has media related to Haylie Duff...
Taylor, illustrated by Jon Sommariva Language English Published 2022 Publisher Razorbill/ Penguin Publication date September 20, 2022 ISBN 9781761049071...
the respective UK totals. Mingulay is an important breeding ground for razorbills, with 9,514 pairs, 6.3% of the European population. The bumblebee Bombus...
Scopoli's and Balearic shearwaters, Audouin's and lesser black-backed gulls, razorbills, and Atlantic puffins. A resident orca pod of some 36 individuals lives...
Three (Razorbill 2014) Sleeper (Orca 2014) Hope Springs (Tundra, September 2014) Regenesis (Doubleday Canada 2015) The Fight of Power (Razorbill 2015)...
ISBN 978-0060765415. Rancic, Bill (2005). Beyond the Lemonade Stand. Razorbill. ISBN 1595141030. Rancic, Giuliana; Rancic, Bill (2010). I Do, Now What...
on the inner Farne Islands, and of Atlantic puffin, European shag and razorbill on Staple Island. Archaeological excavations were started in the 1960s...
close to the seaside, which is home to colonies of cormorants, gulls, razorbills, northern gannets, common murres and Atlantic puffins. Most of these birds...
deliberately coming ashore to nest.: 123–125 Many Atlantic puffins and razorbills nest on Machias Seal Island, which has disputed sovereignty between Canada...
colonies at isolated parts of the cliffs and on the small Goat Island, and razorbills. The site is an Important Bird Area. A wide range of sea life can also...
imitate the call of the common guillemot. Uria auks are relatives of the razorbill, little auk and the extinct great auk and together make up the tribe Alcini...
for its breeding seabirds, including northern gannet, Atlantic puffin, razorbill, common guillemot, black-legged kittiwake and fulmar. There is a visitor...
Global Information
