Ptychoramphus – Cassin’s auklet

A small seabird found in the North Pacific and is often compared to a sleepy, charcoal-grey rubber duck. It’s about the size of a starling, with a chunky body, short neck, and a round head with big pale eyes. Its feathers are dark slate-grey on top and lighter grey or white underneath, with a small white crescent above the eye and a faint pale spot at the base of the bill. Its feet are a bright blue, which is surprising up close. Unlike many of its more colorful relatives, Cassin’s auklet keeps the same simple grey feathers all year.

This small bird spends most of its life on the ocean between Alaska’s Aleutian Islands and Baja California in Mexico, following cool, nutrient-rich waters filled with tiny drifting animals. It is a skilled diver, using its wings like flippers to chase prey such as krill, copepods, and other shrimp-like creatures. On the water, they often feed in loose groups, popping up and disappearing as they move through the sea. Since they avoid ships and stay far from shore, millions can be nearby without most people ever noticing.

The secret side of the Cassin’s auklet’s life happens. Much of the Cassin’s auklet’s life takes place on dark, remote islands. From Baja to Alaska, they nest in burrows and rock crevices on offshore islands without predators. Some islands, like Triangle Island in British Columbia, have colonies with hundreds of thousands of pairs. At night, the birds return from the sea, landing awkwardly and hurrying to their tunnels. Each pair usually raises one chick per season, but in years with plenty of food, some may raise a rare second brood. This is the only seabird in the northern hemisphere known to do this.