Cassin's auklet
| Cassin's Auklet | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom Information | |
| Domain | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Subkingdom | Bilateria |
| Branch | Deuterostomia |
| Phylum Information | |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Sub-phylum | Vertebrata |
| Infraphylum | Gnathostomata |
| Class Information | |
| Superclass | Tetrapoda |
| Class | Aves |
| Sub-class | Neornithes |
| Infra-class | Neoaves |
| Order Information | |
| Superorder | Passerimorphae |
| Order | Charadriiformes |
| Infraorder | Charadriides |
| Family Information | |
| Superfamily | Laroidea |
| Family | Alcidae |
| Sub-family | Fraterculinae |
| Tribe Information | |
| Tribe | Aethiini |
| Genus Information | |
| Genus | Ptychoramphus |
| Species Information | |
| Species | P. aleuticus |
| Population statistics | |
| Population | 550,000+ pairs |
| Conservation status | Least concern[1] |
Cassin's auklet (Ptychoramphus aleuticus) is a small member of the family Alcidae, and inhabits the cold waters of the north Pacific Ocean.
Description
Cassin's auklet is small, approximately 10 inches in length and chunky in appearance. Plumage is blackish to dark grey above, turning somewhat paler underneath, and it bears a small whitish mark above the eyes. The beak is stout, dark in color, with a pale spot midway on the lower bill. The only shade of actual color is the feet, which are a dull, faded blue.
Subspecies
- Ptychoramphus aleuticus aleuticus
- Ptychoramphus aleuticus australis
Range and habitat
Cassin's auklet has an extensive range, with both subspecies inhabiting the Pacific coastline of western North America, from the Aleutian Islands and Alaska southwards to southern Baja California, Mexico, the most southerly of the auks. This species will travel some distances to find ice-free water; they hunt for prey to the limits of the continental shelf on into the deep ocean, seeking crustatceans (mainly krill), invertebrates and small fish, diving up to 300 feet by using its wings to propel itself.
Nesting
On land they form dense colonies of between 500 and 1,000,000 birds, nesting near shorelines in borrows, rocky crevices, logs, or under vegetation. They form monogamous pairs for life, and nest in the same site for years. A single white egg is laid and cared for by both parents; each takes turns incubating while the other hunts for food, staying away from the nest less than a day. The egg is hatched after 40 days, and the chick is reared for another 35 days until fledging. Occasionally a second egg will be laid after the first chick has fledged and left the nest, making the Cassin's auk unique among seabirds.
