Rhinoceros auklet
| Rhinoceros Auklet | |
|---|---|
| File:Rhino Auklet.jpg | |
| 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 | Fraterculini |
| Genus Information | |
| Genus | Cerorhinca |
| Species Information | |
| Species | C. monocerata |
| Population statistics | |
| Population | 1.3 million (1996 est.) |
| Conservation status | Least concern[1] |
The rhinoceros auklet (Cerorhinca monocerata) is a species of bird of the family Alcidae, and found in the north Pacific Ocean.
Description
The rhinoceros auklet is a medium-sized alcid, with a body length of 13 inches, a wingspan of 23.2-24.4 inches, and weighs 12.3-21.9 ounces; females are slightly smaller than males. In shape they are reminiscent of puffins, but this species has a rounder head and a more powerful beak, albeit smaller and less colorful. The iris is bright yellow, the legs and toes are yellow with brownish webs and black nails.
Its plumage on the upper part of the body is sooty brown gray; throat, neck and sides are a little brighter. The belly is whitish. On either side of the head are a pair of elongated white facial streaks, running in a line from the eye to the neck, with the second line running from the beak base towards the mantle. The beak is a dull orange in color, and bears a horn-like protrusion up to 3/4 of an inch long above and in front of the nostrils, giving the bird its name. Non-breeding birds are darker in color overall, lacking the facial streaks and the orange bill. Juvenile birds are similar in color to non-breeding adults, but lack the horn.
Diet
Rhinoceros auklets eat mainly fish such as sand eels or young herring, but also crustaceans and squid. Generally they look for their food far away from the coast, but mainly staying within the region of the continental shelf. They prefer water with a depth of between 30-140 feet, and find their food in the middle range, and not on the sea floor. The dive length in shallow waters is 45 seconds, with an average pause of almost 11 seconds between dives. They only look for food during the day and at dusk. During foraging, they are often associated with swarms of other seabirds, including gulls, guillemots, kittiwakes, puffins and cormorants. There is no evidence that rhinoceros auklets work as a group in search of food, for example by deliberately sloshing fish shoals.
Range
Rhinoceros auklets live and breed in the coastal areas of the north Pacific Ocean, from northern California north to Canada, Alaska, and Russia southwards to the Korean peninsula and Japan. The species is sporadic along the Aleutian Islands. Non-breeding birds are generally pelagic, subsisting at sea as far south as Baja California, Mexico.
Threats
The ICUN classifies the rhinoceros auklet as "least concern", and based on the overall population estimate of well over a million individual birds. However, it has been noted of a decrease in numbers in areas where invasive animals have established themselves, with some acting as predators.
