Bird name:

Cassin's Auklet

Ptychoramphus aleuticus

Order

CHARADRIIFORMES

Family

Auks, Murres and Puffins (Alcidae)

Code 4

CAAU

Code 6

PTYALE

ITIS

177013

Breeding Location:

Lakes, Seashore, rocky or sandy, Rivers, Rocky cliffs

Breeding Type:

Monogamous, Colonial

Breeding Population:

Common to abundant

Egg Color:

Creamy white, tinted blue or green, nest stained.

Number of Eggs:

Incubation Days:

37 - 42

Egg Incubator:

Both sexes

Nest Material:

No nest materials.

Migration:

Northern birds migrate

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General

Cassin's Auklet: Small seabird with slate-gray upperparts, pale gray underparts, and white belly. Eyes are pale yellow. Bill is short with white at base of lower mandible. Tail is short. Sexes are similar. Juvenile has dark brown eyes.

Range and Habitat

Cassin's Auklet: Breeds from the Aleutians to central Baja California and winters in waters off the southern part of breeding range. Preferred habitats include open ocean; nests on sea cliffs and isolated headlands.

Breeding and Nesting

Cassin's Auklet: One white egg, blue or green tinted, is laid in a burrow or cavity among rocks. Incubation ranges from 37 to 42 days and is carried out by both parents.

Foraging and Feeding

Cassin's Auklet: Feeds on small crustaceans and fish. Forages by chasing prey underwater, propelled by its wings. They can dive more than 120 feet below the surface.

Vocalization

Cassin's Auklet: Gives weak croaking calls at night.

Similar Species

Cassin's Auklet: Tufted Puffins and Rhinoceros Auklets are larger with heavier bills.

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Underparts

Belly, undertail coverts, chest, flanks, and foreneck.

Upperparts

Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.

Belly

The ventral part of the bird, or the area between the flanks on each side and the crissum and breast. Flight muscles are located between the belly and the breast.

Lower mandible

The lower part of the bill.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America