Common murre
Scientific name: Uria aalge (Pontoppidan, 1763)
Overview
The common murre or common guillemot is a large auk, one of several species called murre or guillemot. It has a circumpolar distribution, occurring in low-Arctic and boreal waters in the North Atlantic and North Pacific. It spends most of its time at sea, only coming to land to breed on rocky cliff shores or islands.
From the Wikipedia article “Common murre”, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Conservation status
Least concern on the IUCN Red List, as recorded on Wikidata, citing The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021.3.
Size and lifespan
| Measurement | Value |
|---|---|
| Birth weight | 108 g |
Source: Wikidata, citing “AVIAN BODY SIZES IN RELATION TO FECUNDITY, MATING SYSTEM, DISPLAY BEHAVIOR, AND RESOURCE SHARING”, article by Terje Lislevand et al published June 2007 in Ecology.
Where it lives
The Catalogue of Life records it in: Europe & Northern Asia (excluding China); North America; Southern Asia.
Common names
Also known in English as Common Guillemot, Guillemot.
Names in other languages (9)
- Arabic
- مور شائع
- Chinese
- 崖海鸦
- French
- Guillemot de Troïl, Guillemot marmette
- German
- Trottellume, Trottellumme
- Japanese
- ウミガラス
- Persian
- گیلهمات نوکقلمی
- Portuguese
- airo, airo-comum
- Russian
- Тонкоклювая кайра
- Spanish
- Arao común
Related animals
Sources
-
Catalogue of Life — scientific name, classification, common names and range.
Version 2026-09-11, CC BY 4.0.
This species in the Catalogue of Life.
Citation
Bánki, O., Roskov, Y., Döring, M., Ower, G., Hernández Robles, D. R., Plata Corredor, C. A., Stjernegaard Jeppesen, T., Örn, A., Pape, T., Hobern, D., Garnett, S., Little, H., DeWalt, R. E., Miller, J., Orrell, T., Aalbu, R., Abbott, J., Aedo, C., Aescht, E., et al. (2026). Catalogue of Life (Version 2026-09-11). Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgz5n Source database: The Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
- GBIF — species page and recorded occurrences.
- Wikidata — conservation status, measurements, names in other languages. Q21062, CC0 1.0.
- Wikipedia — overview, from the article “Common murre”, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Photo — Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. File page.
- Range map — Cephas, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. File page.
Last updated: 4 October 2026