The Black Guillemot (Cepphus grylle) is a small seabird of the Arctic circle — bold, sleek, and beautifully built for life on the edge. In summer, it turns jet black with crisp white wing patches and vivid scarlet legs and feet that flash as it flies or paddles. In winter, it transforms into soft white and gray, blending perfectly with sea ice and snow.
Found along rocky coastlines from the North Atlantic to the Arctic Ocean, the Black Guillemot nests in crevices, cliffs, and even under boulders. Pairs often return to the same nesting site year after year, communicating with high, eerie whistles — haunting and beautiful in the cold sea air.
This bird is a fearless diver. Using its wings like flippers, it plunges beneath icy waters in pursuit of fish, crustaceans, and marine worms, sometimes vanishing for over a minute before reappearing far from where it dove. Unlike many seabirds, it stays close to shore year-round, often foraging among floating ice.
Even in the dead of winter, it doesn’t migrate far. It remains — diving, calling, thriving — in the freezing silence.
Resilient. Devoted. Marked by fire and ice.
A seabird of two seasons — black as basalt, bright as blood.
