Common Murre: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Seabirds · day 4 of 7

Five facts

1. Underwater it beats its wings as if flying. It usually hunts 30 to 60 m down, and dives of 180 m have been recorded.
2. Its cliff colonies are packed: up to twenty pairs can share one square metre. It builds no nest and lays straight onto bare rock.
3. Every egg has its own unique colours and markings, which help the parents tell which egg is theirs.
4. Before it can fly, the chick leaves the ledge and flutters down to the sea, sometimes from cliffs as high as 457 m.
5. Neighbours often preen each other. This helps remove parasites, and ledges with little preening see more fights.

The quiz

1. How does a common murre move underwater?

• By kicking only its feet
• By beating its wings (correct)
• By floating with the current
• By walking on the seabed

It uses its wings to fly through the water.

2. Where does a common murre lay its egg?

• In a burrow lined with grass
• In a tree nest
• In a floating nest of weeds
• On a bare rock ledge (correct)

Murres make no nest and lay on bare rock, packed in tight colonies.

3. Why does each murre egg have its own pattern?

• To help parents recognise their egg (correct)
• To scare off gulls
• To keep the egg cool
• To make it float

Each egg's unique colours and markings help its parents recognise it.

4. How does a murre chick first reach the sea?

• It is carried in a parent's bill
• It climbs down the cliff
• It flutters down before it can fly (correct)
• It waits a year until it can fly

Not yet able to fly, it glides down and slows its fall by fluttering.

5. What happens on ledges where murres rarely preen each other?

• The birds sing more
• There is more fighting (correct)
• The eggs hatch faster
• The chicks fly sooner

Ledges with little mutual preening show more fighting and less breeding success.

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