Common murreThe common murre or common guillemot (Uria aalge) is a large auk, one of several species called murre or guillemot. It has a circumpolar distribution, occurring in low-Arctic and boreal waters in the North Atlantic and North Pacific. It spends most of its time at sea, only coming to land to breed on rocky cliff shores or islands. Common murres are fast in direct flight but are not very agile.
GuillemotGuillemot ( ) is the common name for several species of seabird in the Alcidae or auk family, part of the order Charadriiformes. In Europe, the term covers two genera, Uria and Cepphus. In North America the Uria species are called murres and only the Cepphus species are called "guillemots". The two living species of Uria, together with the razorbill, little auk, and the extinctgreat auk, make up the tribe Alcini.
CepphusCepphus is a genus of seabirds in the auk family also referred to as guillemots by association with the related genus Uria, or tysties, from the Old Norse name for C. grylle. EtymologyThe genus name Cepphus is from Ancient Greekκέπφοςkepphos, a pale waterbird mentioned by Greek authors including Aristotle.
AukAuks or alcids are birds of the family Alcidae in the order Charadriiformes. The alcid family includes the murres, guillemots, auklets, puffins, and murrelets. The family contains 25 extant or recently extinct species that are classified into 11 genera. Auks are found throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Apart from the extinct great auk, all auks can fly, and are excellent swimmers and divers (appearing to "fly" in water), but their walking appears clumsy.
Type speciesA type species (species typica) is the species considered to be permanently taxonomically associated with the name of a genus or subgenus, and that is used to identify it and distinguish it from others. In modern times, it is normally assigned when the genus or subgenus is first named. Any taxonomic revisions must be done in such a way that the genus or subgenus retains the type species if the genus is to keep its name.
Mathurin Jacques BrissonMathurin Jacques Brisson (French pronunciation: [matyʁɛ̃ ʒak bʁisɔ̃]; 30 April 1723 – 23 June 1806) was a French zoologist and natural philosopher. Brisson was born on 30 April 1723 at Fontenay-le-Comte in the Vendée department of western France.
GenusGenus (; pl.: genera) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family as used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In binomial nomenclature, the genus name forms the first part of the binomial species name for each species within the genus. E.g. Panthera leo (lion) and Panthera onca (jaguar) are two species within the genus Panthera.
Pacific OceanLargest ocean on EarthThe Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It stretches from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is bounded by the continents of Asia and Australia in the west and the Americas in the east.
Atlantic OceanThe Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about 85,133,000 square kilometers (32,870,000 sq mi). It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for separating the New World of the Americas (North America and South America) from the Old World of Afro-Eurasia (Africa, Asia, and Europe).
SeabirdBirds living in the maritime environmentThe sooty tern is highly aerial and marine and spends months flying at sea, returning to land only for breeding.Raft of coastal seabirds Gulf of St. Lawrence, Quebec, CanadaSeabirds (also known as marine birds) are birds that are adapted to life within the marine environment.
North AmericaNorth America is a continent in the Northern and Western hemispheres. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Caribbean Sea, and to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean. North America covers an area of around 24,709,000 square kilometers (9,540,000 square miles), representing approximately 16.5% of Earth's land area and 4.8% of its total surface area.
EuropeContinentEurope is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the to the south, and Asia to the east. Europe shares the landmass of Eurasia with Asia, and of Afro-Eurasia with both Africa and Asia.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.