How to Spot a Razorbill

By eHow Hobbies, Games & Toys Editor

Instructions

Step 1:
Find Razorbills spending the summer along the Atlantic coast from far northern Canada through Maine and near Greenland, northern Europe and Iceland. In the winter months, you can find Razorbills near Europe and along the Atlantic coast of North America between New Jersey and Newfoundland. They breed during the summer near rocky ocean cliffs.
Step 2:
Note the size of this large Auk. Razorbills range in size from 16 to 18 inches and weigh between 17 and 31 oz. They have wingspans between 25 and 27 inches in width.
Step 3:
Observe the bird's appearance. Razorbills have a black head and black upperparts with white underparts. They also have a white line on their faces that runs from their eyes to the bill. The wedge shaped bill of the Razorbill is black with a white line running through it. Razorbills have both pointed wings and a pointed tail and black legs and feet.
Step 4:
Listen for the sounds. Even though the Razorbill is primarily a silent bird, it does make some noises during breeding season. These noises are deep "arrc" and "urrr" sounds. You can listen to the call of the Razorbill on the What Bird website (see Resources below).
Step 5:
Watch for behavior. This bird is a good swimmer and will dive underwater, looking for food. During flight, the Razorbill flies low over the surface of the ocean. These fast and powerful flyers often fly in straight-line patterns.

Resources

Listen to a Razorbill here.

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