Crested Auklet

Aethia cristatellaOrder: CHARADRIIFORMESFamily: Auks, Murres and Puffins (Alcidae)

Breeding Location:

Marshes, freshwater, Rocky places, Swamps



Breeding Type:

Monogamous, Colonial



Breeding Population:

Common to locally abundant



Egg Color:

White, nest stained



Number of Eggs:

1



Incubation Days:

29 - 41



Egg Incubator:

Both sexes



Nest Material:

No nest materials.



Migration:

Nonmigratory



Splitbar

Overview

Crested Auklet: Small, oddly attired seabird of Arctic waters with dark gray body. Head has a strange, smiling orange bill, quail-like crest, bright yellow-white eyes and white eye plumes. Legs and feet are gray. Feeds on zooplankton, crustaceans, squid and fish. Swift, low, direct flight.

Range and Habitat

Crested Auklet: Breeds in the Aleutians and other islands and coasts around Bering Sea. Spends winters in nearby ocean waters and nests on island coasts where sliding rocks form a talus slope, with the largest boulders at the bottom and bare cliff at the top, near the sea for feeding.

Breeding and Nesting

Crested Auklet: Lays a single white egg on a coastal or island cliff, with no nest materials added; usually nests in colonies. Incubation ranges from 29 to 41 days and is carried out by both parents.

Foraging and Feeding

Crested Auklet: Feeds on small crustaceans and plankton; forages by diving from the surface.

Readily Eats

Vocalization

Crested Auklet: Usually silent, but honks and grunts on breeding grounds.

Similar Species

Crested Auklet: Whiskered Auklet has smaller bill and three white plumes on its head.

.

All contents © Copyright 2003-2005 Mitch Waite Group. All rights reserved. No part of this web site may be reproduced without written permission from Mitch Waite Group. Privacy Policy

Percevia® Registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
The Percevia field guides, database and search protocol patent pending.

The best bird guide and bird watching search engine to identify birds!

Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Family Auks, Murres and Puffins (Alcidae)_blue
Species Aethia cristatella
Length9 Inches
Wingspan14 Inches

Crested Auklet

Crested Auklet: Small, oddly attired seabird of Arctic waters with dark gray body. Head has a strange, smiling orange bill, quail-like crest, bright yellow-white eyes and white eye plumes. Legs and feet are gray. Feeds on zooplankton, crustaceans, squid and fish. Swift, low, direct flight.

● Song: No data available.

● Foraging & Feeding: Crested Auklet: Feeds on small crustaceans and plankton; forages by diving from the surface.

● Breeding & nesting: Crested Auklet: Lays a single white egg on a coastal or island cliff, with no nest materials added; usually nests in colonies. Incubation ranges from 29 to 41 days and is carried out by both parents.

● Similar species: Crested Auklet: Whiskered Auklet has smaller bill and three white plumes on its head.

Flight Pattern

Swift direct flight with rapid wing beats.
Crested Auklet Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Crested Auklet: Breeds in the Aleutians and other islands and coasts around Bering Sea. Spends winters in nearby ocean waters and nests on island coasts where sliding rocks form a talus slope, with the largest boulders at the bottom and bare cliff at the top, near the sea for feeding.
BreedingMonogamous, Colonial
PopulationCommon to locally abundant
MigrationNonmigratory
Weight9.3 Ounces