The Birds You Will See

The Auks

The auk family, which is widespread throughout the northern coastal areas of the northern hemisphere, consists of penguin-shaped, black-and-white seabirds. They are often referred to as the northern hemisphere's version of the penguin; however, they are not related to this well-known family of flightless southern hemisphere birds. The extinct great auk, they only flightless member of the auk family, was the original penguin. European sailors named the southern counterparts after the Newfoundland penguin, despite these families not being related.

Auks typically lay a single, large egg and feed themselves by diving after fish and other marine animals. They use their wings for both flight and underwater propulsion, as well as diving to great depths. Common murres have frequently been captured in nets set 200 meters underwater - they are probably the deepest diving member of the auk family.

This family thrives in Newfoundland and Labrador. The razorbill or tinker is roughly 40 cm long with a thick black bill highlighted by a vertical white stripe. It lays one egg, most commonly under a boulder or in a crevice. It breeds in Newfoundland and Labrador on coastal islands like Baccalieu Island and the Witless Bay Islands and at sites like Cape St. Mary's. The Gannet Islands off Labrador are home to the largest colony of razorbills in the world.

During the summer, the common murre (also called the common guillemot and turr) is the province's most numerous auk. Large numbers of adults crowd together on the flat cliff ledges along many coastal islands. Some of the adults have white rings around their eyes. The female lays a single, colourful egg, and the pair take turns warming it and guarding against the ever-watchful gulls and ravens. The chick is still quite small when it jumps from the ledge in mid to late summer and swims out to sea with one of its parents. The chick may live on the North Atlantic for two or three years before it returns to the coastal islands and takes its place on the breeding cliffs. Between May and early August, Cape St. Mary's and Baccalieu Island are two prime areas for viewing murres. Green Island of the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve is the continent's second largest colony, while distant Funk Island is the largest colony in the world.

Thick-billed murres (also called Brunnich's guillemots and turrs) are scattered among the narrow cliff edges of most of our large common murre colonies. These are the most southerly thick-billed murres int he world. While their breeding biology and behaviour are very close to the common murre, in winter they have different colouring, and in summer the white horizontal stripe on their upper bills allows birdwatchers to distinguish thickbills from common murres.

Newfoundland and Labrador's provincial bird, the Atlantic puffin, is slightly smaller and stouter than the murre and is one of our more colourful marine creatures. Its thick orange, yellow, and grey bill makes it one of the world's most famous birds. Not only does it flu and swim underwater, its razor-sharp claws allow it to dig deep burrows into the rich soil of seabird island. At the bottom of this protective burrow it lays a single egg, which both parents look after until late August or early September when the chick is ready for life at sea.

The province is home to about 95 per cent of the continent's Atlantic puffins. They can be viewed at Witless Bay (the continent's largest colony), Baccalieu (second largest colony), and many other smaller colonies.

Although the puffin tends to be the favourite subject of photographers, the brilliant red legs of the black guillemot (or sea pigeon) when combined with its jet black body and brilliant white wing patches make this auk a very colourful subject. Although the height of a puffin, its body is much sleeker with fast, powerful wingbeats. It is a quick flyer that stays low to the water and nests in inaccessible caves and crevices. While these habits make it one of the most challenging seabirds to photograph, it can usually be seen at a distance flying low to the water all around the northeast coast of the province.

During the winter, the bays and coastline of Newfoundland's northeast and south coasts are filled with millions of dovekies (little auks or bull birds). These robin-sized seabirds arrive ahead of the Arctic ice to feed upon plankton and tiny fish. During the spring they return to the north where they breed in huge colonies along the Greenland coast.

The Gulls

The gulls are among the world's most familiar birds. Although these long-winded soaring birds are often called seagulls, some varieties have individuals that travel thousands of kilometres from the ocean. Other gulls, like the kittiwake, are seldom seen near the coast once the breeding season is past. Young gulls go through a series of colour pattern changes between hatching and adulthood, and some gulls have different winter and summer plumage. Over 20 varieties of gulls and terns have been reported from Newfoundland and Labrador waters. Field guides and field experience are often necessary to make a reliable decision about the varieties of gulls seen in an area. Our most commonly seen varieties are the herring gull (they nest all around the province), the great black-backed gull (also called the saddle back, the world's largest gull), black-legged kittiwake (also called the tickle ace - Newfoundland has the continent's largest colonies and dozens of small colonies), ring-billed gull (also called the pond gull - numerous nesting sites along the coast and in land) Arctic terns (dozens of coastal breeding islands), and common terns (whom usually share breeding sites with Arctic terns). A few black-headed gulls, Caspian terns, and perhaps a few other members of the gull family breed in low numbers on different coastal sites, while over a dozen other varieties of gull and tern can visit the province during a year.

The Jaegers and Skuas

This family of northern hawk-like seabirds with slightly hooked beaks are the pirates of the bird world. They will capture the odd prey live, but are best known for their habit of pursuing large seabirds and forcing them to give up their food. They also sometimes catch and eat smaller seabirds. They do not nest in Newfoundland, but are seen along the headlands and off shore from the northeast coast as they seek out other seabirds to chase and harass.

The three types of jaegers can be distinguished by the shape of their central tail feathers. The pomarine jaeger has rounded tail feathers, while the long-tailed jaeger's pointed, central tail feathers can project more than 12 centimetres (4 inches) beyond the other tail feathers. The parasitic jaeger has pointed central tail feathers projecting just a few centimetres beyond the other tail feathers. There are other differences in colour, but the variety of colours within each of three types makes it a challenge to distinguish between them without lots of practice.

Two types of skuas, or sea hen, are also found off the province's coast. (In the British Isle the jaegers are commonly called skuas, so care must be taken when naming one of these birds.) Every summer a few great skuas, together with some South Polar skuas, scavenge and steal from the province's seabirds. During the winter larger numbers of great skuas from the Canadian Arctic travel to the Grand Banks and coastal headlands to feed and wait for the chance to return to their northern feeding grounds. These dark birds are the same size as a herring gull. Look for the white wing patch on the dark brown body. Some South Polar skuas have blond head parts, but it requires experience to distinguish between the two skuas off the coast.

The Shearwaters

Members of this family of soaring seabirds use their long wings to glide effortlessly over the tops of the waves. Shearwaters, also called bawks and hagdowns have tube-like external nostril. They are birds of the open sea, seldom seen from the land. The one exception to this rule is during the summer in Newfoundland, when greater, sooty, and Manx shearwaters are often seen from the headlands. At St. Vincent's on the southern Avalon Peninsula, shearwaters pursue caplin into a freshwater pond. Visitors can stand on the beach between ocean and pond and watch these seabirds soar by. This contrasts dramatically to the six-hour autumn ocean voyages endured by American birdwatchers interested in catching a glimpse of a passing shearwater.

The greater and sooty shearwaters nest in the southern hemisphere but travel to Newfoundland and Labrador to take advantage of the caplin and other small fish. Manx shearwaters attracted to the Grand Banks from Europe have established a small colony on Newfoundland's south coast and appear to be prosecuting for new colony sites. Other shearwaters including the Cory's shearwater are occasionally drawn to the Newfoundland and Labrador coast by the rich feeding or by an ocean storm.

The Northern fulmar or noddy is a stiff-winged oceanic glider that also belongs to the shearwater family. It resembles a herring gull and is often seen associated with flocks of gulls, but it can be distinguished by its tubed bill and thicker, shorter wings. Although low numbers of fular nest in a variety of Newfoundland colonies, they are a common sight far out to sea.

The Storm-petrels

while storm-petrels are almost unknown to people on shore, sailors have had superstitions about the hoards of these small birds for centuries. These seabirds spend their days feeding far out on the ocean. Usually they only approach land under cover of darkness. They are small, starling-sized seabirds with sooty brown plumage and a white stripe on the tail. They have a tube-shaped nose and clawed, webbed feet which aid them in digging their small burrows in the grass of offshore islands. A storm-petrel produced a rich oil from its seafood diet to feed its single chick. Many small islands off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador are honey-combed with tens of thousands of their burrows The common name of "Cary chick" or "Mother Cary's chickens" or "Mother Cary's children" is believed to be derived from an ancient Norse tale about a spirit that moved on the water and terrorized Viking sailors. And old Irish legend holds that the birds are the souls of lost sailors. The mysterious songs, oily odour, and unfortunate habit of crashing by the thousands onto ships at sea provide some modern understanding of these ancient superstitions.

The Wilson's storm-petrel is slightly smaller than its close relative, the fork-tailed Leach's storm-petrel. The Wilson's storm-petrel flies up from the southern hemisphere by the millions to feed off the province's coast. Both storm-petrels are among the most abundant birds in the world.

The wings, feathers, and bones of storm-petrels are often found along headlands and in other areas where gulls land to eat. Storm-petrels are seldom seen except far out at sea and at night around their many colonies. Occasionally summer or fall storms will drive them close to the shore during daylight hours, but it is a lucky birdwatcher who catches a glimpse of this secretive seabird.

The Gannet

Northern gannets crown the colonies at Cape St Mary's, Baccalieu, and Funk Island, and they can also be spotted at many locations along the northeast and south coasts. Photographers enjoy capturing their blue eye rings, bill-fencing and other social behaviours, as well as their graceful flight The gannet's white wings have coal black tips, and the wingspan is close to 2 metres. These birds are plunge divers and will drop into the sea from heights of 40 or more metres in pursuit of caplin, herring, mackerel, squid, and other prey. Once underwater, they use their partially extended wings to chase their prey. Gannets arrive in Newfoundland in early spring and depart for warmer weathers as far south as Florida in October. During the summer, the colonies are joined by black-and-brown juveniles from previous years who come to search for future nest sites. Gannets are the only members of the booby family found in cold climates.

The Birds of Prey

The presence of large numbers of seabirds always attracts the attention of predators and scavengers. Foxes, ravens, and large gulls take advantage of the constant activity around a seabird colony to take an egg, chick, or unsuspecting adult. Birds of prey are sometimes tempted to attack a seabird colony, but the spirited defense offered by kittiwakes, murres, and large gulls will often defer them. Nevertheless, seabird colonies are interesting places to view birds of prey.

In this province, two birds of prey are often included among lists of seabirds. The osprey or fish hawk sometimes nests close to the ocean where it fishes for flounder and other small marine fish. Hovering high above the water, this masked fishing bird drops from the sky and catches its prey in its razor-sharp claws. Other osprey catch trout and salmon from rivers and ponds. Although the osprey is an endangered species, the province boasts some strong populations. There are places all over Newfoundland and Labrador, including ponds in the heard of St. John's, where it is often possible to watch osprey.

The bald eagle is a year-round resident of Newfoundland, and rightly earns the designation of seabird. Although it is an occasional predator on gulls, murres, and other prey, most of its food comes from the ocean. Bald eagles use their excellent eyesight to fish or, more often, scavenge for dead fish along the coast. High numbers of eagles can be seen in parts of Placentia Bay and Trinity Bay, but they are found all along the coast of the province.