Black Guillemots (Cepphus grylle) photographed on Great Duck Island, Maine. Guillemots are the most commonly observed alcid on the coast of Maine, and they are closely related to puffins and auks. During the summer, they nest in rocky burrows on offshore islands, and they dive in near-shore waters to catch a variety of fish and crustacean prey to feed their two chicks. Research with this species has focused on its reproductive success, chick growth patterns, breeding habitat characteristics, social behavior, and relationships with other seabird species (particularly kleptoparasitism by gulls). Much of this research is published in:

Butler, R.G. and D.E. Buckley.  2002.  Black Guillemots (Cepphus grylle).  In Birds of North America . 675: 1- 32. (A.  Poole and F.  Gill, eds).  The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, P.A.

For more information, contact Dr. Ron Butler