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Common Murre Thick--billed Murre Black Guillemot
Pigeon Guillemot Kittlitz's Murrelet Parakeet Auklet
Pigeon Guillemot
Crested Auklet Least Auklet Dovekie
Crested Auklet
Horned Puffin Tufted Puffin
Horned Puffin

 

Alcids

Horned Puffins

At present, pages are limited to the 11 species of alcids that nest in the US EEZ of the Western Arctic. Most nest in large colonies on protected cliffs and forage in nearby waters.

Most Alcids live in boreal and arctic waters. They consist of the species that gave the penguins their names and are highly adapted for swimming underwater. A subartic species, the Great Auk, became recently extinct. Many other members of this species are by-caught in fisheries or contaminated by chronic oil pollution. Most auks live in large colonies, e.g. the fish-eating Thick-Billed Murres and plankton feeders such
as Dovekies. The Tufted Puffin is probably wintering north off Hawaii, and Atlantic auks can be found off West Africa.

Page Author: Falk Huettmann
Created: Oct 30, 2008

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