The Common Murre is a cliff-nesting seabird that lays a single pointed, pear-shaped egg directly on bare rock — the shape causes the egg to spin in a circle rather than roll off the edge if bumped. It is a superb diver, using its wings as flippers to chase fish to depths of over 550 feet. Colonies pack thousands of birds together at densities of up to 70 pairs per square meter.
Best time to see a Common Murre
The best time to see a Common Murre is April–August, when about 62% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 10,696 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
Not certain it is a Common Murre? What bird is this? walks through what to check first and the lookalikes that catch people out.
Recent Common Murre sightings near you
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