Common Murre (Uria aalge) is in the Auks, Murres, and Puffins family (Alcidae). Across the U.S., iNaturalist users have logged 12,443 research-grade observations of it in our sample, peaking in July.
Seasonal pattern in the national data: seasonal. Counts also reflect when people are out photographing, so compare months within a state rather than across states.
When to photograph Common Murre: observations by month (U.S.)
About Common Murre
The common murre or common guillemot (Uria aalge) is a large auk. It is also known as the thin-billed murre in North America. It has a circumpolar distribution, occurring in low-Arctic and boreal waters in the North Atlantic and North Pacific. It spends most of its time at sea, only coming to land to breed on rocky cliff shores or islands.From Wikipedia via iNaturalist — article, CC BY-SA.
Common Murre by state
| State | Observations | Peak month | Main season |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 7,200 | July | Jan–Oct |
| Oregon | 2,424 | August | May–Aug |
| Alaska | 1,426 | July | Jun–Sep |
| Washington | 1,057 | September | Jul–Oct |
| Maine | 183 | June | Jun–Jul |
| Massachusetts | 119 | January | Dec–Apr |
| New York | 11 | January | Jan–Feb |
| New Jersey | 9 | February | Feb–Feb |
| Rhode Island | 6 | January | Jan–Jan |
Main season = months with at least 30% of the state's peak-month count.
Related birds (Auks, Murres, and Puffins)
Photography tips
- Use a fast shutter (1/2000 s or faster) for birds in flight.
- Focus on the eye and shoot at the bird's eye level.
- Approach slowly and stop if the bird changes behavior; never bait or flush birds.
- Morning activity peaks in the first two hours after sunrise.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Common Murre?
Nationally, July has the most observations, with the main season from March to October.
Where is Common Murre most often seen?
The most observations come from California, Oregon, Alaska.