What Is a Group of Guillemots Called?
A crowded, noisy seabird colony that earns its marketplace nickname.
A group of guillemots is called a bazaar, a fitting name for their densely packed, noisy cliff-ledge breeding colonies that can hold tens of thousands of birds shoulder to shoulder.
What Is a Group of Guillemots Called?
Bazaar is the term used for a group of guillemots, describing their extraordinarily crowded breeding colonies, where birds nest shoulder to shoulder on narrow sea cliff ledges, packed and bustling much like a busy outdoor marketplace.
Where Did the Name Come From?
“Bazaar” comes from the Persian word for a marketplace, and the comparison to guillemot colonies is a vivid one, dense crowds, constant noise and movement, and birds squeezed into every available space along a cliff face, much like stalls packed along a market street. It’s one of the more evocative English collective nouns, chosen for how the colony looks and sounds rather than any behavior beyond simple crowding.
Guillemot Facts
- No nest needed: guillemots lay a single, distinctively pear-shaped egg directly on bare rock ledges; the egg’s shape helps it roll in a tight circle rather than off the cliff.
- Massive colonies: guillemot breeding colonies can number in the tens of thousands, among the densest seabird nesting sites in the world.
- Excellent divers: guillemots are strong underwater swimmers, diving to depths of over 100 feet to catch fish using their wings for propulsion.
- Early fledging leap: guillemot chicks leave the nest ledge before they can fly, jumping to the sea below and being guided the rest of the way by a parent.
Example Sentences
- A bazaar of guillemots packed every ledge of the towering sea cliff.
- The noise from the guillemot bazaar carried far out over the water.
🧠 Test Your Guillemot Knowledge
Three quick questions. See what stuck.
1. What is a group of guillemots called?
2. Why is the guillemot’s egg pear-shaped?
3. How do guillemot chicks leave the nest ledge?
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a group of guillemots called?
A bazaar, describing their extraordinarily crowded, noisy cliff-ledge breeding colonies.
Why is it called a bazaar?
The dense crowds, constant noise, and birds packed into every available ledge space resemble a busy outdoor marketplace.
Why are guillemot eggs pear-shaped?
The shape causes the egg to roll in a tight circle rather than off the narrow cliff ledge if disturbed.
How do guillemot chicks reach the sea?
Chicks leave the nest ledge before they can fly, jumping to the water below and being guided the rest of the way by a parent.
A Marketplace on the Cliffs
A bazaar of guillemots earns its name the moment you hear one, tens of thousands of birds packed shoulder to shoulder in constant motion and noise.