A heavy-bodied, deep billed auk that is black above, with a white front. The Razorbill stands upright on its full length of leg. It swims low, with head raised; tail pointed and often raised, and flies fast on short, whirring wings.

Razorbills are quite extraordinary seabirds, being among the deepest-diving birds in the world. They are usually less numerous than Guillemots at seabird colonies, where several species cram together to nest on sheer cliffs.