Alca torda
Silhouette: PhyloPic
In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%
The razorbill (Alca torda) is a North Atlantic colonial seabird and the only extant member of the genus Alca of the family Alcidae, the auks. It is the closest living relative of the extinct great auk (Pinguinus impennis). Historically, it has also been known as "auk", "razor-billed auk" and "lesser auk".
Razorbills are primarily black with a white underside. The male and female are identical in plumage; however, males are generally larger than females. This agile bird, which is capable of both flight and diving, has a predominantly aquatic lifestyle and only comes to land in order to breed. It is monogamous, choosing one partner for life. Females lay one egg per year. Razorbills nest along coastal cliffs in enclosed or slightly exposed crevices. The parents spend equal amounts of time incubating, and once the chick has hatched, they take turns foraging for their young.
Presently, this species faces major threats, including the destruction of breeding sites, oil spills, and deterioration of food quality. As a result, razorbills have on occasion been seen outside of their normal range as they search for alternative food sources. The IUCN records the population of the species as fluctuating. It decreased from 2015 to 2021, and appears to be increasing or stable at the present. It is estimated that the current global razorbill population lies between 838,000 and 1,600,000 mature individuals. In 1918, the razorbill was protected in the United States by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vatnajokull National Park | 🇮🇸 Iceland | |
| 2 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 3 | Cape Breton Highlands National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Snowdonia National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 6 | Gros Morne National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 7 | Svalbard | 🇳🇴 Norway | |
| 8 | Doñana National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 9 | Camargue | 🇫🇷 France |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dublin | 🇮🇪 Ireland | |
| 2 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Rotterdam [The Hague] | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | |
| 4 | Barcelona | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 5 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Porto | 🇵🇹 Portugal | |
| 8 | Lisbon | 🇵🇹 Portugal | |
| 9 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Copenhagen Zoo | 🇩🇰 Denmark | |
| 2 | Lisbon Oceanarium | 🇵🇹 Portugal | |
| 3 | Odense Zoo | 🇩🇰 Denmark | |
| 4 | L'Oceanogràfic | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 5 | National Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Montreal Biodome | 🇨🇦 Canada |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Razorbill sighting in Svalbard on a given day, based on 11 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 43rd most-seen of the 48 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Razorbill in Svalbard on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season. November to January have too few records to rate.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Razorbill sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
7th of 9
Of the 9 parks where we can rate Razorbill sightings, Svalbard ranks 7th at under 5%. The best odds are in Vatnajokull National Park (Iceland, about 10%), Wadden Sea National Park (Germany, under 5%) and Cape Breton Highlands National Park (Canada, under 5%).
Same family: Alcidae
The closest relatives of the Razorbill that you can see in Svalbard (family Alcidae, Auks, Murres, and Puffins) are Black Guillemot (about 90%), Thick-billed Murre (about 70%) and Dovekie (about 50%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Razorbill is recorded against all the birds logged in Svalbard (11 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
