The Razorbill breeds throughout Atlantic Canada and the Gulf of St. Lawrence, with smaller numbers reaching the Low Arctic coastlines of Nunavut and Nunavik. Surveys at breeding colonies have documented large increases in the population's abundance since about 1970. Reductions in fisheries bycatch in recent decades may have played a role in these increases. This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.
Razorbills are susceptible to entanglement in fishing gear, especially gillnets. The groundfish moratorium and the subsequent closure of many gillnet fisheries in Atlantic Canada likely benefited the species (Benjamins et al. 2008). Similarly, closure of gillnet fisheries for Atlantic Salmon along the north shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Quebec, may have contributed to increases in abundance observed there since the 1990s (Lavers et al. 2009). However, the overlap of the Razorbill’s breeding range with intensifying oil development is of potential concern given their high vulnerability to oil pollution (Lavers et al. 2009). Other threats include the incidental take of Razorbills during the murre hunt season in Newfoundland and Labrador, as well fox predation at breeding colonies (Lavers et al. 2009).
Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:
Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.