Common Guillemot

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Habitat and behaviour

Habitat: Sea-cliff ledges (summer).
Diet: Fish (sandeels).
Best time to spot: Densely packed colonies.

When to look

Resident in the UK, so it can be found year-round. Numbers peak in May. See the May birding guide for what else is about. More on the season in British seabirds.

Taller bars mean more birds about. Grey means it is usually absent.

How rare is it?

The Common Guillemot sits in our Uncommon tier for the UK: regular, but you usually need the right place or the right season. It is Amber-listed in Birds of Conservation Concern 5, the middle level of concern in the UK.

Where to see it

Reserves where the Common Guillemot is on the list:

• RSPB South Stack

Recent UK sightings

Similar birds

• Brunnich's GuillemotLegendary · Sea (very rare)
• Black-legged KittiwakeUncommon · Sea-cliff ledges (summer)
• Atlantic PuffinUncommon · Sea-cliff burrows (summer)
• Arctic SkuaUncommon · Northern moors (summer); sea (passage)
• Arctic TernUncommon · Northern coasts (summer)
• Common CuckooUncommon · Reedbeds

Kit that helps

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