Razorbill  (Alca torda)

This handsome bird has a characteristic deep, flattened (1), wedge-shaped (3) bill, which is black in colour with a white line. The underparts are white, and the black upperparts are darker than those of the similar guillemot (Uria aalge). Juveniles in their first winter have smaller and more pointed bills, which lack the white line seen in adults (1). This species is not particularly vocal, but a deep creaking 'urrr' is produced by breeding individuals (1). In Cornwall, an alternative common name for the razorbill is 'murre', which is probably imitative of this call (3). The scientific name Alca is thought to derive from the Icelandic word for this bird, Alka, which is thought to imitate another call of the razorbill, a harsh 'arrc-arrc' (3).