Razorbill: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the razorbill lives – recorded in 25 countries, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Alca torda
Group	Waders, gulls, terns & auks
Status	Least concern (Wikidata, IUCN category label)
Found in	25 countries
Continents	Africa, Europe, North America
Class	Bird
Order	Charadriiformes
Family	Alcidae

Where does the razorbill live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the razorbill in 25 countries and territories across Africa, Europe and North America. Wikidata gives its range as: Africa.

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

Is the razorbill endangered?

The razorbill’s conservation status recorded in Wikidata is “Least concern” (an IUCN Red List category label). Source: Wikidata.

What kind of animal is the razorbill?

The razorbill (Alca torda) is a bird in the order Charadriiformes and the family Alcidae, genus Alca. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the razorbill

The razorbill (Alca torda) is a North Atlantic colonial seabird and the only extant member of the genus Alca of the family Alcidae, the auks. It is the closest living relative of the extinct great auk (Pinguinus impennis). Historically, it has also been known as "auk", "razor-billed auk" and "lesser auk".

Razorbills are primarily black with a white underside. The male and female are identical in plumage; however, males are generally larger than females. This agile bird, which is capable of both flight and diving, has a predominantly aquatic lifestyle and only comes to land in order to breed. It is monogamous, choosing one partner for life. Females lay one egg per year. Razorbills nest along coastal cliffs in enclosed or slightly exposed crevices. The parents spend equal amounts of time incubating, and once the chick has hatched, they take turns foraging for their young.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Razorbill (revision 1362853442), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q27102 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).