Least & Parakeet Auklet, Pigeon Guillemot Photography, Photos, Pictures

The least auklet (Aethia pusilla) is a seabird and the smallest species of auk. It the most abundant seabird in North America, and one of the most abundant in the world, with a population of around nine million birds. They breed on the islands of Alaska and Siberia, and spend the winter close to the edge of the ice sheet. Their largest colonies are on the Aleutian Islands, St. Lawrence Island, and the Pribilof Islands. Least auklets feed predominantly on copepods. Like all auks they are good divers, using their wings to provide thrust and "fly" under the water. They are voracious predators, consuming 86% of their body weight each day. Least auklets are highly colonial, nesting in rocky crevices in colonies of up to a million birds. These colonies are often mixed, with other species of auklet nesting with and competing with them. While this coexistence with other species may bring the benefits of protection from predators, they are vulnerable to being displaced from their nesting sites by the larger auklets. Least auklets are vulnerable to oil spills and introduced species. The introduction of foxes and rats to the Aleutian Islands has caused the species to be wiped out on many of their former island colonies.

The parakeet auklet (Aethia psittacula) is a small seabird of the North Pacific. It is associated with the boreal waters of Alaska, Kamchatka, and Siberia. It breeds on the cliffs, slopes and boulder fields of offshore islands, generally moving south during the winter. They are a small auk with a short orange bill that is upturned to give the bird its curious fixed expression. The bird's plumage is dark above and white below. with a single white plume projecting back from the eye. There is a small amount of variation between breeding and winter plumage. The parakeet auklet's food varies with season. During the breeding season it takes mostly small planktonic crustaceans, but recent research shows it also preys on jellyfish in some areas. It often feeds at a considerable distance from the colony, diving up to 10ft (30m) to reach its prey. Breeding begins in April and May in colonies that are often shared with other auk species.

The pigeon guillemot (Cepphus columba) is a medium-sized alcid endemic to the Pacific. Adult birds have black bodies with a white wing patch broken by a black wedge, a thin dark bill and red legs and feet. In winter, the upper parts are mottled grey and black and the underparts are white. They walk well and habitually have an upright posture. Their breeding habitat is rocky shores, cliffs and islands often forming small loose colonies. Pigeon guillemots range across the Northern Pacific from coasts in western North America and Alaska to California. After the breeding season birds in Alaska migrate south to open waters, whereas some birds from California move north to the waters off British Columbia. They dive for food from the surface, swimming underwater.