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Razorbills Swim in Synchrony
Synchronized swimming keeps the flock together!
© Steven Liffman
Razorbills, a cousin to the puffin, nest in colonies on cliffs. Before they lay eggs, Razorbills take part in two unique social behaviors. In one, the Razorbills swim round and round in a tight mass, then dive as one. Next, they surface with heads aligned and bills held open. In another behavior, dozens of birds swim in a line, then zig-zag in a synchronized pattern across the ocean’s surface.
BirdNote®
Razorbills Swim In Synchrony
Written by Bob Sundstrom
This is BirdNote.
[Razorbill]
The Razorbill is a black seabird with white underparts and black head. Its dark bill, crisply marked in white, has a blunt, rounded tip. It stands a head taller than its cousin, the Atlantic Puffin.
[Razorbill]
Razorbills nest in colonies, principally on the coast of Iceland, in crevices among boulders. To feed, they make wing-propelled dives to hunt small fish, sometimes reaching depths below 300 feet.
[Razorbill]
Pairs usually mate for life. But perhaps the most remarkable thing about Razorbills is their synchronized swimming.
[Music: Blue Danube Waltz]
Before they lay eggs in summer, they take part in two different group social behaviors. In one, the Razorbills swim round and round in a tight mass, then dive as one. Next, they all surface together with heads aligned and stretched upward, with their bills held open.
[Razorbill]
In a second group behavior, dozens of birds swim in a line, then zig-zag together in a synchronized pattern across the ocean’s surface.
For Razorbills, which breed and hunt for food in groups, these carefully coordinated movements are how they get in sync.
[Razorbill]
For BirdNote, I’m Michael Stein.
###
Senior Producer: Mark Bramhill
Producer: Sam Johnson
Managing Producer: Jazzi Johnson
Managing Producer: Ariana Remmel
Content Director: Jonese Franklin
Bird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Razorbill ML 103332431 recorded by A. Spencer, and Razorbill Xeno Canto 343128 recorded by T. Linjama.
BirdNote’s theme was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler.
© 2021 BirdNote December 2021 & January 2024/2026
Narrator: Michael Stein
ID# RAZO-01-2021-12-13 RAZO-01
References:
https://www.wordnik.com/words/razorbill
http://what-when-how.com/birds/razorbill-birds/
https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/razorb/cur/behavior
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Razorbill/overview
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