Razorbill

A medium-sized auk and the closest living relative of the extinct Great Auk. The Razorbill is a sharp, black-and-white seabird. It has a distinctive, deep bill marked by a white vertical line. It breeds in large colonies on coastal cliffs and rocky islands in the North Atlantic. Unlike the Guillemot, the Razorbill prefers to nest in sheltered crevices or holes among boulders.

Razorbills are highly social on breeding cliffs. They communicate with deep, guttural growls. They are exceptional divers and 'fly' underwater to catch fish like sand eels. Outside the breeding season, they live entirely on the open sea. They can survive harsh winter storms far from land. They often form lifelong pair bonds and engage in mutual grooming.