Murre/Guillemot

Twelve thousand breeding pairs of Common Murres, Uria aalge, known as Guillemots in the UK, nest on Staple Island. Murres eschew nesting material and just use shallow depressions on the rocky surface of such “bird cliffs.” Their eggs are rather more pointy on one end than your typical egg, so that, if nudged or knocked, they should roll around in a circle… instead of off a ledge.Choate says “murre” is probably of Celtic origin. “Guillemot” is from the French Guillaume, making these birds “little Williams.” The final “t” is pronounced in Great Britain.A small percentage of Murres are of the brindled or ringed variety, with white around the eye and flaring back in a down-curving line. This percentage increases as you get further north.Sets you apart in a crowd. But with so many birds crowded together to nest, wouldn’t the birds simply confuse eggs? Turns out their eggs have a high degree of variation, presumably to help parents identify them.