Aethia pygmaea
The Whiskered Auklet (Aethia pygmaea) is a captivating and distinctively adorned member of the Alcidae family, renowned for its elaborate facial plumes. This small seabird measures between 17-21 cm (6.7-8.3 in) in length with a wingspan of approximately 35 cm (14 in) and weighs around 85-110 grams. Its plumage is a sleek, dark sooty gray, beautifully contrasted by a prominent white eye and, most strikingly, long, delicate white plumes extending from above and below the eye, resembling whisker...
Rocky coastal islands, sea cliffs, and talus slopes provide nesting grounds, while open, cold, and productive marine waters are its primary foraging habitat.
Primarily zooplankton, specifically large marine copepods (e.g., *Neocalanus* species), euphausiids, and amphipods, obtained through pursuit diving.
Whiskered Auklets are highly social and diurnal, spending much of their non-breeding time foraging in offshore waters, often forming dense rafts. They are pursuit divers, using their powerful wings to 'fly' underwater in search of zooplankton. During the breeding season, they form noisy colonies,...
The Whiskered Auklet is endemic to the remote, cold waters of the North Pacific Rim, primarily breeding on the Aleutian Islands of Alaska (USA), and the Commander and Kuril Islands of Russia, with smaller populations found in northern Japan (Hokkaido). The greatest concentrations are found throug...
Least Concern
- The Whiskered Auklet's distinctive white facial plumes are not just ornamental; they are thought to have a tactile function, helping the bird navigate the dark, intricate crevices of its nesting sites. - They nest deep within rock fall, sometimes burrowing several meters into talus slopes, offe...