AUKS, MURRES, AND PUFFINS: Family Alcidae [313] 



white patch on base of wing which half incloses a black triangle. Winter plumage: 

 wings and tail as in summer, rest of plumage mainly white, varied above and some- 

 times below with black. Young: similar to winter adults, but white of wings ob- 

 scured by dusky, tips of quills marked with white." (Bailey) Downy young: "The 

 young guillemot is hatched with a complete covering of soft, thick down, 'fuscous 

 black' above, shading into 'clove brown' below." (Bent) Si%e: "Length 13-14, 

 wing 6.90-7.30, bill 1.10-1.40." (Bailey) Nest: A crevice or cranny of the rocks, 

 where the eggs are laid on the bare rock. Eggs: 2., pale greenish white, bluish 

 white, or pure white, usually heavily spotted and blotched with dark brown or black. 



DISTRIBUTION. General: Breeds from Pacific Coast from southern California through 

 Aleutians to Bering Strait. Winters from Aleutians southward. In Oregon: Breeds 

 on nearly every suitable rocky headland along coast, being particularly abundant in 

 Lincoln, Tillamook, Coos, and Curry Counties, where there are many available 

 sites. Becomes common in April and remains until October in numbers. Winters 

 casually. 



THE BRIGHT-RED FEET, jet-black plumage, and conspicuous white wing 

 patches of the Pigeon Guillemot make it one of the most striking and 

 easily recognized summer birds of the Oregon coast, where it is one of 

 the prominent features of the bird life and may be seen flying in and out 

 of crevices in precipitous headlands or feeding offshore among the myriads 

 of sea birds that gather during the anchovy runs. Its flight is very rapid 

 and strong, and its swimming and diving like that of its relatives 

 expert. It was first mentioned as an Oregon bird by Townsend (1839). 

 Prill (1901) found it breeding at Otter Rock, Woodcock (1902.) listed it 

 from Yaquina Bay, and Finley (1902.) found it on Three Arch Rocks. 

 Since then little has been written about it. 



It breeds on practically every rocky Oregon headland suitable for the 

 purpose from the mouth of Pistol River north to the Columbia, but is 

 particularly abundant in Lincoln, Tillamook, Coos, and Curry Counties, 

 where it becomes common in April (April iz, Tillamook County). The 

 species nests abundantly on the headlands adjacent to the Three Arch 

 Rocks, Tillamook County, where it lays its eggs rather late in the season. 

 Our only egg records are from July 2. to 6. The guillemots in this colony 

 are usually busily engaged in feeding young in August after all the other 

 sea birds have left their rocky homes and are to be found scattered over 

 the surface of the ocean. There is also a particularly fine colony in the 

 seal caves on Heceta Head, Lincoln County, where in the dark crevices 

 and crannies of this huge water-worn cavern at least 100 pairs of birds 

 breed. A visit to this cave on August 4, 1932., showed guillemots feeding 

 just offshore on a huge run of small fish and making frequent direct 

 flights between this school offish and their noisy young in the cave. The 

 birds remain in numbers until October (October 10, Coos County). 

 Winter records so far are few, but the species undoubtedly occurs in small 

 numbers off the Oregon coast throughout the year. Gabrielson saw 10 

 scattered birds on Yaquina Bay during a heavy storm on February 7, 1919. 



