A sleek, elegant auk, the guillemot is brown above with a white front. It stands upright, resting on the full length of its leg; swims low with head raised, tail short and square; and flies fast with a whirring wing action.

Guillemots are individually fascinating, elegant creatures, but they are best seen en masse at the breeding colonies, where they add life, noise, and spectacle to a seabird cliff.