Pigeon Guillemot
Cepphus columba
Also known as: Sea Pigeon
About This Species
Scan rocky shorelines and nearshore waters along the Pacific coast for this black seabird with bold white wing patches and bright red legs and mouth lining, often seen diving for small fish and invertebrates close to shore. It nests in crevices and burrows on sea cliffs and gives a distinctive high-pitched whistling call around breeding colonies. Summer, during the breeding season, is the best time to see numbers gathered near nesting cliffs and offshore rocks.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- View nesting cliffs from boats or the shore at a distance rather than climbing toward crevices, since seabird colonies are highly sensitive to disturbance and adults can be flushed off eggs or chicks by a close approach.
- Coastal wildlife protections differ between the countries and states along its Pacific range, so check local regulations rather than assuming a single rule.
- Keeping watercraft and foot traffic well clear of visible nesting cliffs during the breeding season is the most reliable way to avoid disturbing a colony.
LCAvesCharadriiformesAlcidae
Seasonal Activity
388,665 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Family
- Alcidae
Photo
(c) Mike Baird, some rights reserved (CC BY)
CC-BY-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.