Razorbill, known in Finland as the Ruokki, Alca torda, photographed at Luonnontieteellinen keskusmuseo (University of Helsinki Museum of Natural History), Helsinki, Finland.
Image: GrrlScientist, 18 May 2010 [velociraptorize].
Canon SX100 IS.
Question: Here's a couple clues for you: first; this species occurs only in the north Atlantic Ocean, and second; this species' chicks are flightless when they fledge. Can you name the species?
Response: Razorbill, Alca torda, that I photographed whilst visiting the University of Helsinki Museum of Natural History. If you would like to see a photograph of this stunning species as a living individual, click here and scroll down.
Unusual among birds, young razorbills cannot fly when they fledge, so their birds breed in large colonies that are very close to the sea, so their chicks can reach it quickly and easily. Often found among common murres, Uria aalge, razorbills can be identified at a distance because they feed closer to shore in continental shelf waters than do murres.
You are invited to review all of the daily mystery birds by going to their dedicated graphic index page.
If you have bird images, video or mp3 files that you'd like to share with a large and (mostly) appreciative audience, feel free to email them to me for consideration.
