What does the egg of the Lesser Auk (Alca torda) look like? 

The Lesser Auk is also known as the Razorbill. It is a marine bird, or sea bird, in the Alcidae family. It lives in the Northern Hemisphere along rocky reefs and coastal cliffs. Approximately 60% to 70% of the Lesser Auk population breeds in Iceland.

The female Lesser Auk lays one egg per year on a bare ledge on a coastal cliff, between late May and early June. 

The egg is oval and elongated in shape. 

The Lesser Auk is about 39 centimetres (15 inches) tall, and its egg is about 12.5 centimetres (5 inches) long and 7.5 centimetres (3 inches) wide. 

The Lesser Auk is mainly black with a white underside, and its egg is creamy-white with black, brown, or greyish spots and lines, which are mainly at the large end. 

Both the male and the female sit on the egg until it hatches after about 35 days. 

Photographer: Martina Nicolls

Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM