# Razorbill (*Alca torda*)

The razorbill (*Alca torda*) is a bird of the family Alcidae, in the order Charadriiformes.

> The razorbill (Alca torda) is a black-and-white seabird of the North Atlantic with a deep, blunt bill crossed by a white line. It nests on sea cliffs and dives for fish, using its wings to swim underwater. It is the closest living relative of the extinct great auk. Razorbills weigh 505–730 g, can live over 40 years, and are listed as Least Concern with an increasing population.

- **Category:** Bird
- **Conservation status (IUCN-style):** Least Concern
- **Range:** Cliffs and islands of the North Atlantic from eastern Canada and Greenland to Iceland, Britain, Scandinavia and the Baltic; winters at sea south to the Mediterranean and North Carolina.
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/razorbill/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Scientific classification

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Aves
- **Order:** Charadriiformes
- **Family:** Alcidae
- **Genus:** Alca

## Facts at a glance

| Attribute | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Scientific name | Alca torda |
| Diet | Small fish such as sandeels, sprats and herring; krill |
| Habitat | Rocky sea cliffs and islands; open sea in winter |
| Weight | 505–730 g |
| Lifespan | Typically 13 years; oldest ringed bird nearly 42 |
| Range | North Atlantic, from Canada and Greenland to Britain and the Baltic |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2021) |

## Identification

Razorbills are black above and white below, with a thick, flattened bill crossed by a white vertical line and a thin white line from the bill to the eye. The tail is longer and more pointed than a guillemot's. In winter the throat and cheeks turn white.

## Flying underwater

Razorbills are expert divers that use their wings to swim. Most dives are V-shaped plunges after schools of small fish, which they carry back to the chick crosswise in the bill.

## Relative of the great auk

The razorbill is the only living member of the genus Alca and the closest relative of the great auk, a large flightless seabird hunted to extinction in the 1840s.

## Status

BirdLife International lists the razorbill as Least Concern (2021), estimating 838,000 to 1.66 million mature birds and an increasing trend. BTO ringing data give a typical life expectancy of 13 years, and the oldest ringed razorbill lived almost 42 years.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the difference between a razorbill and a guillemot?

Razorbills have a deep, blunt bill with a white line and a blacker back; guillemots (common murres) have a slender, pointed bill and are browner.

### Are razorbills related to penguins?

No. They are auks, in the same family as puffins and guillemots. They look a little like penguins but can fly and live in the Northern Hemisphere.

### How long do razorbills live?

Typically about 13 years, but one ringed razorbill lived almost 42 years.

### Where do razorbills nest?

On ledges and in crevices on sea cliffs and rocky islands around the North Atlantic.

## Sources

- [BirdLife International (2026). Species factsheet: Razorbill Alca torda. BirdLife DataZone. Checked 1 November 2026.](https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/razorbill-alca-torda)
- [Animal Diversity Web: Alca torda. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Alca_torda/)
- [BTO BirdFacts: Razorbill. British Trust for Ornithology.](https://www.bto.org/learn/about-birds/birdfacts/razorbill)
- Tobias, J. A. et al. (2022). AVONET: morphological, ecological and geographical data for all birds. Ecology Letters 25: 581–597. doi:10.1111/ele.13898
- [Gill, F., Donsker, D. & Rasmussen, P. (Eds). IOC World Bird List v15.2.](https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/)

## Help protect the Razorbill

Even familiar animals lose ground as wild habitat keeps shrinking worldwide.

[Donate to wildlife protection](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/donate/)

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/razorbill/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.