{"id":8722,"date":"2026-11-06T18:13:48","date_gmt":"2026-11-06T18:13:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wordpress.viu.ca\/biol325\/?p=8722"},"modified":"2026-11-06T20:03:23","modified_gmt":"2026-11-06T20:03:23","slug":"pigeon-guillemot-jordan-robinson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordpress.viu.ca\/biol325\/2026\/11\/06\/pigeon-guillemot-jordan-robinson\/","title":{"rendered":"Pigeon Guillemot: Not even close to a Pigeon but ok…"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Order<\/span>: Charadriiformes<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Family<\/span>: Alcidae<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Genus<\/span> Species<\/span>: Cepphus columba<\/em>


The Pigeon Guillemot<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Bander Code: PIGU)

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Pigeon Guillemot by Matt Zuro, Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

This beautiful, medium sized NON-PIGEON may be a familiar sight if you hang around the ocean here in the Pacific Northwest. With its striking jet-black plumage, bright-white upperwing patches, and scarlet-red feet, the Pigeon Guillemot<\/strong> is hard to overlook. This species of Alcid (web-footed marine diving bird) spends its time diving along rocky nearshore areas in search of food, where they use their powerful wings to essentially fly underwater for nearly two and a half minutes<\/strong> at a time!<\/p>\n\n\n

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An adult Pigeon Guillemot near Gabriola Island, July 2nd, 2026 (Photo source: Jordan Robinson<\/em>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Get to Know the PIGU<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Appearance <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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(PIGU Illustration Credit: Sibley Guide to Birds v2<\/em>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

This bird species is seasonally dimorphic<\/strong>, meaning the Pigeon Guillemot has two morphs<\/strong>, or “plumages,” depending on the time of year; however, males and females are indistinguishable from each other!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pigeon Guillemot’s display their iconic “breeding plumage<\/strong>” during the summer months (March-September<\/em>), when they appear black to dark-brown overall and display a prominent white patch on their wing that has a single small black line running through it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The “nonbreeding plumage<\/strong>” of the Pigeon Guillemot is seen throughout the winter months (October-March<\/em>), when they replace their dark feathers with a more blended black and white counter-shaded appearance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regardless of plumage state, the little red feet<\/strong> are always a great way to dissolve any uncertainty when attempting to identify this bird.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Juvenile Pigeon Guillemot’s are born between May and July and are covered in thick brown-black down feathers<\/strong>. These warm down feathers are soon lost as a juvenile undergoes a pre-juvenile moult<\/strong> and enters its “juvenile plumage<\/strong>.” The juvenile plumage often overlaps heavily with an adult’s non-breeding plumage and normally can’t be differentiated in the field with 100% confidence. A juvenile Pigeon Guillemot will moult its juvenile plumage the following year, between March and April. At this point, it will adopt the signature breeding adult plumage!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Fledgling<\/strong>
J.A Leger, 2013<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Juvenile\/Non-breeding<\/strong>
B. Sullivan, 2004<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Breeding<\/strong>
D. Anderson, 2020<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Photo Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Distribution<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The Pigeon Guillemot can be found year-round<\/strong> throughout the North Pacific<\/strong>, ranging from California to northern Japan! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For this species, the foraging and breeding conditions favour relatively shallow rocky bottoms (<45 meters<\/em>) or areas with strong currents or upwelling. These habitat preferences make this bird relatively accessible to watch from shore<\/strong> throughout most of its range.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, their coastal preference is not necessary for success; during the winter season, Pigeon Guillemot’s may venture offshore<\/strong> into the pelagic zone to forage in deep open waters.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Birds of the World<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n
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Diet and Foraging<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Pigeon Guillemot’s are on a strictly seafood<\/strong> diet!
All their meals consist of invertebrates and marine fishes<\/strong>, such as Sculpins, Gunnels, Pricklebacks, Sand lances, Herring, Crabs, Shrimps (with the occasional polychaetes, gastropods, or bivalves).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large proportion of a Pigeon Guillemot’s diet consists of fish compared to invertebrates, likely a result of larger lipid deposits in the vertebrates, which provide more energy compared to most invertebrates. A 1972 study (Koelink<\/em>)<\/span> suggests breeding Pigeon Guillemot’s need roughly 90 grams of fish daily<\/strong> to maintain their weight; that’s 20% of their body weight a day<\/strong>! (Adult PIGU= ~485 grams<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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An adult PIGU with a Pacific Snake Prickleback (Lumpenus sagitta)<\/em>. Photographed on the Bluffs of Gabriola Island, July 2nd, 2026.
(Photo source: Jordan Robinson<\/em>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Pigeon Guillemot’s are incredibly capable swimmers and divers. They keep their wings partially open<\/strong> and flap to propel<\/strong> themselves. Most species of alcids use their feet only as rudders in the water, but Pigeon Guillemot’s use their feet for both steering and propulsion!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although there are no accessible videos of Pigeon Guillemot’s swimming viewed from blow, most members of the Alcidae family swimming in a similar manner. The videos below provide a closer look at the underwater swimming style of alcids!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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