Scientific name:
Cepphus grylle

Natural spread:
North-Atlantic, Arctis

Gryllteisten broods at the rock-coasts of the Arctic, the North-Atlantic and also in the Baltic Sea*-area. A Pacific subtype, the Taubenteiste (Cepphus grylle columba), lives in the coasts of the Tschuktschen-Halbinsel, the Kurilen, the Bering-sea as well as North America from Alaska until South-California.

Shape Gryllteisten become 30-38 cm long and approximately 400-600 g heavy. The color-difference between brood and silence-dress is showy: In the summer, alto-birds of both sexes have a black plumage with a big white stain on each wing-upper side. The underside is purely in the winter against it knows and the upper side whitish with black Fleckung. Northern subtypes differ in its altogether lighter plumage from more southern populations, Gryllteisten from the ice-sea-area and from North-Canada are even almost completely in the winter knows. The feet as well as the inside of the black one colored, sharpens and straight beak is red.

Food The food of the Gryllteisten consists of planktonischen cancers (approximately 20 percent of the total), mollusks and smaller fishings as well as their brood. Outside the incubation, these Alken spend the most time on the open water, with what however, they don't disappear far from the country so, like other types.

Reproduction Gryllteisten set aside (in contrast to the other Alken) its two eggs in rock-niches and splits (more rarely also in burrows) without padding the underground. After 34-40 days, the squabs - already airworthy - leave the nest. The brood-period is until August, dependent on the water-temperatures and the time of the thaw in the brood-area, in May. Gryllteisten brood usually only in small groups, more rarely however also in larger colonies. The Nisthöhlen can directly at the coast or also lie in rocky areas farther inland.

Hikes As soon as the waters freeze over again in the brood-areas, Gryllteisten move as far as to North-France southwards as well as. New Jersey (USA) and until to Japan. Far, particularly squabs have the tendency to roam.