Probable Arctic Guillemot – ssp. hyperborea

A recent article, March 2014, on Martin Garner's website, Birding Frontiers, concerning the identification possibilities of Arctic Guillemot, ssp hyperborea, on Hornoya Island, Varanger, Arctic Norway, provoked me to check out my photos from last years trip (April 2013).

Arctic Guillemot are seemingly rare vagrants to British waters and seldom do they move south of their arctic range. They do appear to have subtle differences to the northern form, nominate aalge and the Southern form, ssp albionis.

So checking the photos from the trip I made to Varanger last April 2013, I was surprised to see that I have some photos of what appear to be good credentials for Arctic Guillemot. By comparing the following photos to the ones included in the article on Birding Frontiers, there are some similarities and clearly one photo shows massive differences with the normal nominate Guillemot. 

Most of the well marked "Arctic Guillemots" are of the Bridled form which is prevalent in northern populations. In Britian and certainly in the English colonies, the Bridled form is quiet scarce amongst the populations.

Northern Guillemot – nominate form aalge – Hornoya Island, Varanger, April 2013 – note the distinct lack of any heavy streaking on the flanks. Clearly different to the individual below.

Probable Arctic Guillemot form ssp hyperborea – Hornoya Island, Varanger, April 2013 – note the heavy streaking to the flanks, extending down to the legs and outwards across to the belly. The white spectacle and bridle is extremely bright and prominent in this individual. Some individuals show dark crescentric marks on the belly and flanks. This bird doesn't seem to show these markings.

Probably the Northern Guillemot form aalge – Hornoya Island, Varanger, April 2013 – note faint black streaking on the flanks, by no means as heavy as the bird above.

Here is a real mixed bag of Guillemot – Hornoya Island, Varanger, April 2013 – several individuals showing heavier flank streaking – note again that the birds showing heavy streaking are Bridled birds.

Probable "Arctic Guillemot" – Hornoya island, Varanger – most of these birds show much heavier flank streaking than one would expect to see on the Northern & Southern forms.

All above photos by Tony Davison©