And, in terms of keeping a health check on the oceans, you can't beat guillemots since we can survey their numbers, survival and breeding success more easily accurately than almost any other seabird. In contrast, watching guillemots is like watching nature’s very own soap opera: a never-ending mix of marital affection, infidelity and strife. “Apart from looking cute, Puffins don’t really do much at the colony. This is mostly because people love the way puffins look, but in terms of behaviour, guillemots are much more interesting for nature enthusiasts to watch. Professor Birkhead said: “Guillemots are one of the most fascinating species of birds that we have in the UK, however they are often overshadowed by their neighbour, the puffin. This new study published in Auk: Ornithological Advances, dispels the widely held belief that the pointed shape of guillemot eggs has evolved to allow the egg to roll in an arc, and shows instead that guillemot eggs are inherently more stable on the sloping ledges that guillemots often breed on. Historically, egg collectors, who at Bempton on the Yorkshire coast were known as climmers, used to scale Britain’s cliffs in search of some of the most unusually coloured guillemot eggs and sell them onto museums and wealthy businessmen for their collections. The guillemot egg is widely considered as one of the most beautiful and extraordinary eggs in the avian world. However, Professor Birkhead, who has been studying the behaviour of guillemots, puffins and razorbills on Skomer Island in Wales for almost 50 years, has discovered that the egg’s shape has evolved in order to keep the egg in place and prevent it from rolling away in the first place. Guillemots lay and incubate their single egg on bare cliff ledges close to the sea, which led scientists and nature enthusiasts to believe that the egg’s pointed shape had evolved to help it roll in an arc – thus keeping it from the cliff edge should it become dislodged The study, led by Professor Tim Birkhead from the University’s Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, has discovered the reason why guillemot eggs have such a peculiar shape – a mystery that has been puzzling biologists for hundreds of years. Throughout range, prefers treeless islands.A centuries-old mystery behind the shape of a bird’s egg has been solved by scientists at the University of Sheffield as part of one of the longest-running scientific studies of its kind. Nests on islands, primarily on grassy steep slopes or cliff tops (steep dropoff may help birds take flight). Even during breeding season, may be at sea far from nesting colonies.
Ranges widely at sea, from fairly near shore to far out of sight of land. Ocean, nesting colonially in burrows on sea cliffs. Still, Alaska population estimated at over 1 million pairs in late 1970s. Farther north, some island populations probably reduced by introduced foxes or rats. Conservation statusĭisappeared from former nesting sites off southern California decades ago numbers nesting off northern California much lower than historical levels. The colorful tufts of feathers on the head are present mostly in summer.
Although it flies strongly, it must work hard to take off from the water, thrashing along the surface before becoming airborne. This dark-bodied puffin is common along the northern Pacific Coast, nesting on islands offshore, where it may be seen sitting on rocks in an upright posture.