From Opus

Photo by martinuk
St. Paul, Pribilof Islands, Alaska, June 2003

Aethia psittacula

[edit] Identification

23 cm

• Short orange bill
• Dark upperparts
• White underparts
• A white plume projects back from the eye

[edit] Distribution

North Pacific and Bering Sea; winters to Japan and southern California

Photo by steenl
Seward, Alaska, June 2005

[edit] Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species^[1] which was previously placed in the genus Cyclorrhynchus.^[2]

[edit] Habitat

Breeds on off-shore islands, on cliffs, slopes and amongst boulders. The rest of their time is spent at sea.

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] Diet

They feed on krill and small crustraceans.

[edit] Breeding

The breeding season starts in April and May. Colonial breeders with other auk species. The single egg is placed in a crevice or under a boulder and incubated for about a month. The chick fledges after 35 days, flying out to sea on its own.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2009. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2009. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/Clements%206.4.xls/view.
2. Avibase
3. Wikipedia

• List of references

[edit] External Links