General

Rhinoceros Auklet: Medium-sized seabird with black upperparts, dark gray underparts, and white belly. Eyes have long white plumes above and below. Bill is yellow with pale horn. Sexes are similar. Winter adult is duller and lacks bill horn and eye plumes.

Range and Habitat

Rhinoceros Auklet: Breeds from California, the Channel Islands, to the Aleutian Islands in Alaska in North America; and Hokkaido and Honshu, Japan, as well as North Korea and Sakhalin Island in Asia. It winters both in offshore and inshore waters, exhibiting some migration. Their habitat include burrows dug into the soil, or natural caves and cavities between 1 and 5 m deep.

Breeding and Nesting

Rhinoceros Auklet: One white egg, often spotted, is laid in a burrow; nests in colonies, sometimes in large numbers. Incubation ranges from 39 to 52 days and is carried out by both parents.

Foraging and Feeding

Rhinoceros Auklet: Feeds mainly on small fish, but sometimes takes crustaceans and squid; forages by diving from the surface and pursuing prey under water.

Vocalization

Rhinoceros Auklet: Gives low growling notes on the nest.

Similar Species

Rhinoceros Auklet: In basic plumage, the smaller Cassin's Auklet, the whiter-bellied Parakeet Auklet, and larger-billed Tufted Puffin are all similar because they share the darker plumage.