Common Murres are found breeding on the precipitous rocky cliffs of Gull Island, located in the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve near the Avalon Peninsula of Newfoundland, Canada. These elegant black-and-white seabirds establish their nests amidst the noisy crowds on narrow sea ledges. Often likened to flying penguins for their formal appearance, they are in fact kin to auks and puffins. Their slim wings serve a dual purpose: enabling them to traverse great distances in search of food and acting as flippers when they dive approximately 100 feet underwater to fish. These resilient birds spend most of their lives on the open sea, coming ashore primarily to nest.
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