244 
CHARADRIIFORMES 
Distribution. More northern than the Common Murre. Breeding from the Gulf of 
St. Lawrence into the high Arctics in the east and Bering Sea in the west. 
SUBSPECIES. Eastern and western birds are represented by two subspecies. The 
eastern form is Brunnich’s Murre (la Marmette ou le Guillemot de Briinnich) Uria 
lomvia lomvia, the western is Pallas’ Murre (la Marmette ou le Guillemot de Pallas) 
Uria lomvia arm. The latter has never been identified in Canadian waters but may be 
expected on the British Columbia coast occasionally in winter. 
Briinnich’s Murre is the only member of this family that is found on 
the Great Lakes. The birds have at irregular times come in hundreds on 
Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, and tributary waters in late autumn and early 
winter, all in a starving condition, and none seem to survive or return to 
their sea homes. These occurrences are as yet inexplicable. 
34. Dovekie. sea dove, le mergule nain (Petit bonhomme). 
Alle alle. L, 8. The Dovekie is a diminutive diver, the smallest of 
its family in eastern Canada. When in our waters it is generally 
black above and white on throat, cheek, and below. 
Distinctions. Its size is enough to separate it from any other 
diver in eastern Canada, though on the west coast there is a species 
comparable with it in size. 
Field Marks. Size and extremely rapid wing beats make the 
best field marks. 
Nesting. On cliff ledges in the far north. 
Distribution. In summer in the far north in the eastern Arctic, 
in winter along the Atlantic seacoasts. 
On our eastern coastal shores and harbours this little bird should be 
looked for only in the winter. It flies with a very rapid wing motion. 
Figure 359 
Dovekie; scale, 
Winter 
Summer 
27. Black Guillemot, pigeon, sea pigeon, le guillemot noir. Cepphua 
grylle. L, 13. In summer the Black Guillemot is a small, coal black diver with large 
white wing patches and red feet (Figure 360, right). In winter the underparts are white 
and the feathers above are black but broadly tipped with white. The wings remain as in 
summer (Figure 360, left). 
Figure 360 
Black Guillemot; scale, 
Winter Summer 
Distinctions. In summer the species cannot be mistaken for any other. Tn winter 
the size and wing coloration are almost equally distinctive. 
Field Marks. The characters above make easily recognizable field marks. 
Nesting. In cavities in the rocks or in openings in the rough talus at the foot of sea 
cliffs. 
Distribution. The Black Guillemot is common along our Atlantic coast but is rarely 
if ever seen inland. 
SUBSPECIES. There are two subspecies of the Black Guillemot in Canada, the 
Common Black Guillemot (le Guillemot noir commun) Cepphus grylle grylle, and Mandt’s 
Guillemot (le Guillemot noir de Mandt) Cepphus grylle mandti, a northern race inhabiting 
Arctic regions and distinguished by having all the wing coverts white to the base instead 
of with a concealed dark wing bar. 
