Pigeon Guillemot

Cepphus columba

Audubon Illustration

John James Audubon, Birds of America (1827-1838). Public domain.

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About the Pigeon Guillemot

The pigeon guillemot (Cepphus columba) () is a species of bird in the auk family, Alcidae. One of three species in the genus Cepphus, it is most closely related to the spectacled guillemot. There are five subspecies of the pigeon guillemot; all subspecies, when in breeding plumage, are dark brown with a black iridescent sheen and a distinctive wing patch broken by a brown-black wedge. Its non-breeding plumage has mottled grey and black upperparts and white underparts. The long bill is black, as are the claws. The legs, feet, and inside of the mouth are red. It closely resembles the black guillemot, which is slightly smaller and lacks the dark wing wedge present in the pigeon guillemot. This seabird is found on North Pacific coastal waters, from Siberia through Alaska to California.

Source: Wikipedia

Classification

Scientific name: Cepphus columba
Family: Auks, Murres, and Puffins
Order: Charadriiformes

Similar species

Other members of the auks, murres, and puffins family recorded in North America — a useful place to start if you are not certain of your identification.

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