Unlimited edition. 18 x 24 inch, museum-quality poster on matte paper.

Whenever I visit the Sonoma County coast, I keep my eyes peeled for this striking little seabird. Wearing a bold, color-blocked outfit during the breeding season, and producing songbird-like vocalizations from its marvelous, scarlet gape, the pigeon guillemot has no shortage of flair and charisma.

The bird also impresses with its adroit landings on sheer cliffs high above the ocean’s surface. Crevices or burrows in cliffs and bluffs make for preferred nesting sites, and one of the species’ largest breeding concentrations is on the Farallon Islands, located about 20 miles south of Bodega Head, where I most often enjoy the bird’s company. Like many other bird species in which male and female plumage is the same, pigeon guillemots form monogamous, lifelong pair bonds (although biologists have documented a few cases of “divorce”).

Despite its small size, the pigeon guillemot is a powerful diver. During dives lasting up to 2 1/2 minutes, guillemots feed on bottom-dwelling fish and shellfish at depths of up to 150 feet. They typically dive directly to the seabed to forage, but will also feed on species such as sandlance that form large shoals higher up in the water column. Because guillemots feeding on the surface are often targeted by thieving predators – most often gulls – which pirate the captured fish before it can be swallowed, guillemots will consume smaller prey while still underwater. Gulp.

Note: These archival poster prints feature rich, appealing colors. I encourage customers to take care in handling them until they are framed/protected for display; the darker colors on the matte paper can be scratched. They ship rolled, so customers need to flatten them before framing (or have their framer do so).

Charitable Sales Model: Whenever one of these poster prints is purchased, a charitable contribution equal to 10% of the print’s cost (or $3.60) is made to a nonprofit working to tackle environmental or social challenges. Read more about my charitable sales model here.