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Volume 53, No. 2

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First confirmed record of Common Murre Uria aalge for the Mid-Atlantic Azores.


Authors

LUÍS M. D. BARCELOS1,2*†, RÚBEN COELHO3,4†, & JOÃO P. BARREIROS1,2
1Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Azorean Biodiversity Group (cE3c-ABG), Angra do Heroísmo, Azores, Portugal *(luis.md.barcelos@uac.pt)
2Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of the Azores, Rua Capitão João D'Ávila S/N, Pico da Urze, 9700-091 Angra do Heroísmo, Terceira, Azores, Portugal
3Serviços de Ambiente da Terceira, Rua do Galo, no. 118, 9700-091 Angra do Heroísmo, Terceira, Azores, Portugal
4Aves dos Açores, Porto Martins, Azores, Portugal
†LMDB and RC contributed equally to this work as co-first authors.

Citation

Barcelos, L. M. D., Coelho, R., & Barreiros, J. P. (2025). First confirmed record of Common Murre Uria aalge for the Mid-Atlantic Azores. Marine Ornithology 53(2), 337-339
http://doi.org/10.5038/2074-1235.53.2.1653

Received 19 March 2025, accepted 10 June 2025

Date Published: 2025/10/15
Date Online: 2025/10/07
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Key words: guillemot, North Atlantic, seabirds, oceanic islands, vagrant

Abstract

On 06 December 2024, a Common Murre Uria aalge was photographed in Praia da Vitória fishing harbour, Terceira, Azores. This constitutes the first record for the archipelago, far from the species' usual nearshore range. The bird remained for several days; plumage features confirmed subspecies U. a. aalge. Alcidae are vagrants in the Azores, with the Little Auk Alle alle and Atlantic Puffin Fratercula arctica most often reported. This observation refines knowledge of seabird distribution and vagrancy in this mid-Atlantic oceanic archipelago.

References


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