Whiskered auklet

Aethia pygmaea

(Photo from Astronomy to Zoology)

Common name:
whiskered auklet (en); mérgulo-de-bigode (pt); starique pygmée (fr); mérgulo bigotudo (es); bartalk (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Charadriiformes
Family Alcidae

Range:
This species is found in the northern Pacific, with colonies in the north-eastern Sea of Okhotsk and the Commander Islands, south to the Kuril islands, and throughout the eastern Aleutians as far east as the Krenitzin Islands. Outside the breeding season they mainly remain near the breeding colonies, but may wander as far the northern Bearing Sea and northern Japan.

Size:
These  birds are 17-18 cm long and have a wingspan of around 37 cm. They weigh 99-136 g.

Habitat:
During the breeding season, the whiskered auklet forages in offshore and coastal waters, nesting in bare or partially covered talus slopes and beach boulders in small rocky islands. Outside the breeding season they are mainly pelagic.

Diet:
They feed on a wide range of planktonic crustaceans. During the summer copepods and particularly Neocalanus plumchrus are key prey, while in autumn and winter they mainly prey on euphausiid krill.

Breeding:
Whiskered auklets breed in May-August. They are highly monogamous and mate for life. They nest in large colonies, with each pair nesting in a shallow nest placed in a rocky crevice, natural cave or steep grassy slope, usually 3-250 m above the sea. The female lays a single egg which is incubated by both parents for 35-36 days. The chick are fed by both parents and fledge about 37 days after hatching. Unlike other auklets which leave the colonies immediately after fledging, the young whiskered auklets often remain in the colony for up to 6 weeks.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a relatively large breeding range and the global population has been very roughly estimated at 100.000-300.000 individuals. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to predation by invasive species and ongoing habitat destruction.

Horned puffin

Fratercula corniculata

Photo by Paul B. Jones (Flickr)

Common name:
horned puffin (en); papagaio-do-mar-cornudo (pt); macareux cornu (fr); frailecillo corniculado (es); hornlund (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Charadriiformes
Family Alcidae

Range:
This species is found in the northern Pacific Ocean and adjacent parts of the Arctic Ocean, breeding from Wrangel island to the Queen Charlotte islands in Canada and to Sakhalinsk in Russia. Outside the breeding season their wander as far south as the coasts of northern Japan, Canada, and occasionally as far as northern California.

Size:
These birds are 32-38 cm long and weigh 580-650 g.

Habitat:
The horned puffin breed in coastal cliffs and offshore islands, preferring to forage in coastal waters near the breeding colonies. Outside the breeding season they favour open pelagic water for foraging.

Diet:
They feed mainly on small fish, namely juvenile herrings Clupea sp., capelin Mallotus sp. and sand lance Ammodytes sp., also hunting squids, crustaceans and polychaetes.

Breeding:
Horned puffins are monogamous and breed in April-July. They nest in small colonies, with each nest consisting of a burrow in a rock crevice or under a boulder, lined with feathers, grass or debris. The female lays a single grey egg with purple dots, which is incubated by both parents for 40-42 days. The chick is fed by both parents and fledges 34-46 days after hatching. They reach sexual maturity at 3-5 years of age.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and the global population is estimated at over 1,2 million individuals. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to predation by invasive species and ongoing habitat destruction.

Razorbill

Alca torda

Photo by Paul Wordingham (Wikipedia)

Common name:
razorbill (en); torda-mergulheira (pt); petit pingouin (fr); alca común (es); tordalk (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Charadriiformes
Falimy Alcidae

Range:
This species breeds along the shores of the northern Atlantic, both in North America and Europe. On the European side they breed from north-western Russia to northern France and winter from the Baltic and North Sea down to the western Mediterranean and the coast of Morocco. They also breed in Iceland, southern and western Greenland up to Baffin Bay and along the coast of Canada down to Maine in the north-western United States and winter down to the coast of Connecticut.

Size:
These birds are 38-43 cm long and have a wingspan of 60-70 cm. They weigh 500-890 g.

Habitat:
They breed on rocky coastal areas, both on mainland cliffs and offshore islands, feeding mostly on continental shelf waters, but also on oceanic waters during winter.

Diet:
They forage by diving into the sea, up to a depth of 120 m. They mainly feed on schooling fish, such as capelin Mallotus villosus, sand lance Ammodytes sp., juvenile cod Gadus morhua, sprat Sprattus sprattus, herring Clupea harengus, sculpins Myxocephalus and small euphausiids. They also take crustaceans and polychaetes.

Breeding:
Razorbills breed in May-July. They form large colonies with each pair nesting on a rock crevice or among boulders, laying the egg on bare rock. The female lays a single ground colour egg with dark brown blotches, which is incubated by both parents for 35-36 days. The chick is fed small fishes by both parents and the male will lead him out to sea after 17-23 days.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and a global population estimated at 1-1,4 million individuals. After large declines early in the 20th century, caused by hunting and egg collection, the population stabilized and even showed some increases in recent years in North America and the British isles. However, commercial fishing causes death of birds that become tangled in nets and reduces food availability for this species, while oil pollution is another potential threat to the razorbill.

Pigeon guillemot

Cepphus columba

Photo by Glenn Bartley (Glenn Bartley Nature Photography)

Common name:

pigeon guillemot (en); airo-d'asa-branca-do-Pacífico (pt); guillemot colombin (fr); arao colombino (es); taubenteiste (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Charadriiformes

Family Alcidae

Range:

The pigeon guillemot is found in the North Pacific, breeding in Russia from the Kuril islands and the Kamchatkan Peninsula to the eastern tip of Siberia, and from the western tip of Alaska down through the Pacific coast of Canada and the United States to southern California. This includes colonies on the Commander and Aleutian islands.

Size:

These birds are 30-35 cm long and have a wingspan of 58-60 cm. They weigh 450-550 g.

Habitat:

Pigeon guillemots are pelagic, fishing out in the sea and only coming to shore to breed. They nest in rocky shores, cliffs and islands.

Diet:

These birds take fish and marine invertebrates, including Pacific sandfish Trichodon trichodon, capelin Mallotus villosus, cods (Gadidae), sculpins Myoxocephalus, gunnels Pholis laeta, pricklebacks Lumpenus sagitta and some flounders (Pleuronectidae). Invertebrates include red rock crab Cancer oregonensis, shrimps (Crangon, Pandalus and Heptacarpus), polychaetes, gastropods, and a bivalve mollusks.

Breeding:

Pigeon guillemots start nesting in March-April. They nest under logs, in rock crevices or holes, under bridges, in tree roots, in abandoned puffin burrows, pilings, and waterfront structures, such as wharves, bridges, navigation aids, walls of disused buildings, and old tires, pipes, boxes, and beached ship hulls, all usually within 30 m of the high water mark. The female lays 1-2 greenish or bluish-white eggs with brown marks. The eggs are incubated by both parents for 30-32 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 29-39 days after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

This species has a very large breeding range and a global population of 470.000 individuals. The population in North America may have undergone a slight increase, but overall the population trend is believed to be stable. This population is not considered threatened at present.