ANATOMY OF BIRDS
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION
MIGRATIONS OF BIRDS
CLASSIFICATION OF BIRDS
LIZARD-TAILED BIRD
AMERICAN TOOTHED-BIRDS
THE OSTRICHES
THE RHEAS
EMEUS AND CASSOWARIES
THE TINAMOUS
THE KIWIS
THE PENGUINS
LOONS AND GREBES
ALBATROSSES & PETRELS
STORK-LIKE BIRDS
GOOSE-LIKE BIRDS
FALCON-LIKE BIRDS
FOWL-LIKE BIRDS
CRANE-LIKE BIRDS
PLOVER-LIKE BIRDS
CUCKOO-LIKE BIRDS
THE ROLLER-LIKE BIRDS
SPARROW-LIKE BIRDS
Birds and Birding's Guide to:
Watching THE PLOVER-LIKE BIRDS
THE GULLS AND THEIR ALLIES
Guillemots
Sometimes placed in the same genus with the last, but distinguished as already pointed out by the exposed nostrils, are the Guillemots
(Cepphus), of which there are five recognized species. Of these the Black Guillemot, or Sea Pigeon (C. grylle), may be selected for brief mention. Between twelve and fourteen inches in length, it is sooty black throughout, being somewhat lighter below, and with a large white patch covering the greater part of the wing-covert area.
This species finds a home in the North Atlantic, retiring in winter as far south as the New Jersey coast on the American side and to northern Europe on the opposite side. It is ordinarily a rather shy, wary bird, not permitting a very close approach, though in Cumberland Sound the late Mr. Kumlien found it quite tame, yet it was next to impossible to shoot one in the water if the bird was watching, as it could dive as quickly as a Loon.
It nests in the crevices and fissures of cliffs and rocky bluffs, laying two, or rarely three, large, heavily spotted eggs. It feeds largely on fish. Similar to this but having the under surface of the wings dark instead of white, is the Pigeon Guillemot (C. coliimba) of the Pacific coast of North America.
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