Cassin's Auklet
NameCassin's Auklet
Common NameCassin's Auklet
Scientific NamePtychoramphus aleuticus
FamilyAlcidae
Wingspan (cm)38
Length (cm)20
Weight (g)175
Plumage DetailsOverall sooty gray-brown plumage, slightly paler on the belly. It has a small, often inconspicuous white crescent or patch behind the eye and a short, stout black bill with a pale bluish-gray base to the lower mandible.
Vocalization / CallVocalizations include a distinctive, low, growling 'krr-krr-krr' or a rapid series of 'churr' notes, primarily heard at night near breeding colonies.
Primary Dietcarnivore
Primary Habitatscoastal
Conservation Statusleast-concern
Geographic RangeFound in the northeastern Pacific Ocean, breeding from the Aleutian Islands of Alaska south along the coast to Baja California, Mexico.
Identifying Featuressmall size, dark sooty-gray plumage, pale eye, short black bill with pale base, small white crescent behind eye (often subtle), nocturnal at breeding colonies
Description
A small, dark seabird of the North Pacific, the Cassin's Auklet spends most of its life at sea, coming to land only to breed. It is known for its nocturnal activity around breeding colonies and its diet of zooplankton.
