Least Auklet
Aethia pusilla
An abundant tiny auklet, only slightly larger than a sparrow. Occurs in large colonies around rocky shores during summer, and in smaller flocks further from the coast during winter. Summer plumage appears messy with numerous gray spots around the belly. Winter plumage is more contrastingly marked with flashing white belly and shoulders. Gives frequent, consistent squawks and squeaks at colonies. Readily separable from other auklets due to its whiter plumage and smaller size.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Aethia pusilla
- Authority
- (Pallas, 1811)
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Family
- Alcidae
- Genus
- Aethia
Range and habitat
- Breeding range
- PAL, NA : nw to ne North Pacific coasts: patchily from e Chukotka, ne Kamchatka, Sea of Okhotsk, Kuril and Commander is. (e Russia); Bering Sea is. and Aleutian Is.
- Non-breeding range
- pelagic in North Pacific, to n Sea of Japan and w British Columbia (sw Canada)
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
Least auklets are vulnerable to oil spills and introduced species. The introduction of Arctic foxes to many of the Aleutian Islands caused the species to be wiped out on many of those islands, and rats are also a problem on many islands. However, at present they are still a very common species, and are not considered threatened by the IUCN.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Slate-colored Grosbeak
Saltator grossus
Stunning grosbeak, entirely slaty gray with striking white throat and thick bright red bill. Female similar but with duller orange bill. Found singly or in pairs, usually at middle levels in forests or edges, often following a mixed-species flock. Listen for the sweet, simple whistled song.
Purple-capped Fruit-Dove
Ptilinopus ponapensis
Colorful forest dove found solely on the Caroline Islands of Chuuk and Pohnpei; the only fruit-dove on these islands. Adult has a bright purple cap, leaf-green back and wings, and a broad lemon-yellow tail tip. Juvenile is green all over, but with darker wings. Forages in trees and bushes, feeding primarily on fruit. Song is a series of coos that accelerate before tapering off quietly.
Senegal Thick-knee
Burhinus senegalensis
Very large shorebird that is similar to Eurasian and Water Thick-knees, but with a longer and heavier bill. Also note the gray mid-wing panel without a black-and-white upper border. Immature Eurasian Thick-knees can also have a simpler wing pattern similar to Senegal, and identification of those birds best determined by structure and habitat. More connected to aquatic habitats than Eurasian Thick-knee, but not as much as Water Thick-Knee. Noisy, especially at night, producing a variety of loud whistles and trills.
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