Akpait bird cliff

CANADA | Friday, 21 November 2014 | Views [216] | View Smaller Image

Brunnich's guillemot chicks are fed by both parents for 18-25 days. Then they have to make a leap of faith from high up on the cliff to the water below. When the chick jumps, a parent, usually the male, follows immediately and shadows the chick on its descent. Unable to fly, the chick spreads its wings and feet to give it some sort of gliding ability. Sometimes the second parent also follows to make sure all is well.

The availability of real estate on the cliff is very limited with only a few narrow ledges offering suitable sites. Birds nest in a dense, cacophonous crowd. The noise has to be heard to be believed. Perhaps it is fortunate that Brunnich's guillemots require less than 1 square foot per bird. Eggs are laid on the bare rock, their shape preventing them from rolling off. Adults have to land precisely when returning to their nest.

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Once in the water, the parent calls the chick until the family is reunited. The male then stays with the chick for about 8 weeks, feeding it and teaching it to feed and look after itself. The pair swims south, joining huge rafts of birds, and the group is eventually reunited with the females. Brunnich's guillemots live at sea except during the breeding season.

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Akpait bird cliff

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