Thick-billed Murre

Inuktitut name - Aqpak

Colour - head, neck, and back black or dark brown; belly white; top edge of mouth lined with white; in winter, the neck and chin become white

Length - 42 to 48 cm

Shape - wings small; bill thick and pointed

Behaviour - poor flyer, flapping wings rapidly to stay aloft; diet consists mainly of small fish and planktonic crustaceans; feeding can occur at long distances from breeding colonies (i.e., 150 km)

Distribution - breeds in dense colonies in Lancaster Sound, north and south ends of Baffin Island, Labrador coast through Hudson Strait and Northeast Hudson Bay; migrates to Newfoundland and Labrador in winter, when flocks of adults and young swim to water that stays open over winter or freezes only for a short period

Sensitivity - colonies are very sensitive to disturbance: the approach of ships or aircraft can cause birds to become agitated; birds may leave their nests quickly, knocking eggs or chicks off the cliff ledges, with the result that many will die and the population will suffer a decline; for more information see Sensitivity Information on the Birds - General Information page

Thick-billed Murre (42 KB)

Lancaster Sound Area Distribution Maps: Fall Scenario Spring (Ice Scenario 1) Spring (Ice Scenario 2) Spring (Ice Scenario 3) Summer Scenario

Coronation Gulf Area Distribution Maps: See the Birds - General Information page.