From Opus

Photo by Glen Tepke
nonbreeding plumage, Monterey Bay, California, USA, 21 January 2007

Synthliboramphus antiquus

[edit] Identification

• Black head, throat and rear neck
• Grey back
• White underparts
• Short, stubby yellow bill
• Small rounded black tail

Summer plumage adults have white head streaks. ¹

[edit] Distribution

North America, Central America, Asia
North America: Canada: British Columbia, Quebec. United States: New England, Alaska, California, Massachusetts, Michigan, Oregon, Washington
Central America: Mexico: Baja California
Asia: Russia, Siberia, China, Korea

[edit] Taxonomy

[edit] Subspecies^[1]

• S. a. antiquus:

• Eastern Asia, Aleutians and southern Alaska; winters to California

• S. a. microrhynchos:

• Komandorskiye Islands; winters to Ryukyu Islands

[edit] Habitat

Open sea.

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] Breeding

The nest is a burrow excavated among tree roots, under logs or in grass tussocks, sometimes in rock crevices. One or two eggs are laid.

[edit] Diet

The diet includes small fish and crustaceans.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist.
2. Avibase
3. Answers.com
4. Wikipedia

• List of references

[edit] External Links

• View more images of this species on Orientalbirdimages