Puffin Razorbill Murres Dovekie Black Guillemot

The family Alcidae or Auks as they are known in Europe all breed in the Northern Hemisphere. They are small, rather dumpy birds that fly with rapid wing beats and use their wings to swim underwater. True seabirds they come to land to breed in large colonies and then disburse to the open ocean for most of their lives. We see them as pelagics in winter plumage from late fall to early spring. Six species are found in the north Atlantic. Two of which are restricted to the Atlantic: Razorbills and Atlantic Puffin. Two more are easier to see on the Atlantic side: Black Guillemot and Dovekie. These four species are considered New England specialities.