Alcids

Dovekie, Alle alle

Family Alcidae (Alcids)

Size: 8"

Season: Winter

Habitat: Offshore oceanic waters

Rarely seen from shore, the dovekie is a tiny seabird that inhabits the open North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans when it is not breeding on remote, rocky islands in the Arctic Circle. It is plump and short-bodied with a relatively large head, almost no neck, a short tail, and a blunt, stubby bill. The breeding plumage is white below, cleanly contrasting with the black upperparts, head, breast, and tail. The wings are mostly dark except for a white stripe on the trailing edge of the inner wing and white streaks on the scapulars. Winter adults (most often seen in New England) have a white breast and throat, with white extending behind the eye, forming a dark partial collar on the neck. Dovekies use their compact wings in a flying motion to swim underwater, feeding on small marine invertebrates and plankton. The winter adult is illustrated.