Arao De Pico Ancho
A simple vista
Rango e identificación
Mapa de migración y distribución
Descripción
Unlike the other alcids, which are exclusively oceanic, this species occurs very rarely on the Great Lakes and other large inland bodies of water. Murre eggs are a rich source of food for native peoples, while the birds themselves are among the chief prey of Gyrfalcons and Peregrines. In turn, murres feed on fish, squid, and various crustaceans. Murres are so conservative that photographs of nesting cliffs taken decades apart show the same number of nesters on each ledge, and where the two species of murres mix, even the proportion of the two seems to remain similar--usually a sign of keen competition for nest sites. They fly with fast wingbeats on a steady course but alight with a "stall" and an ungraceful splash. They take off by plunging from a cliff or, on water, by pattering over the surface like heavy ducks.