Cassin's Auklet

Ptychoramphus aleuticus

Order

CHARADRIIFORMES

Family

Auks, Murres and Puffins (Alcidae)

Code 4

CAAU

Code 6

PTYALE

ITIS

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:

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 forbidden2.

Field Guide to Birds of North America