Pigeon Guillemot

Pigeon Guillemot
Scientific Classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Charadriiformes Family: Alcidae Genus: Cepphus Species: columba
Binomial name
Cepphus columba

The Pigeon Guillemot, Cepphus columba, is a medium-sized alcid.

Adult birds have black bodies with a white wing patch broken by a black wedge, a thin dark bill and red legs and feet. They are similar in appearance to the Black Guillemot but show dark wing linings in flight. In winter, the upperparts are mottled grey and black and the underparts are white.

Their breeding habitat is rocky shores, cliffs and islands on northern Pacific coasts in western North America from Alaska to California. They usually lay their eggs in rocky sites near water.

Birds in Alaska migrate south to open waters.

They dive for food from the surface, swimming underwater. They mainly eat fish and other aquatic animals.