Photo: Art Sowls/USFWS · St. George Island, Pribilof Islands, Alaska · U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service · Public Domain
Alcids
Crested Auklet
Aethia cristatella
A charismatic medium-sized auklet with a dramatic forward-curling black crest, a stubby orange bill decorated with pale plates, and a distinctive citrus-like scent during breeding season. Forms enormous mixed-species flocks with Least Auklets at the Pribilofs.
Where to look
St. Paul and St. George Islands (Pribilofs); also Buldir Island and other Aleutian islands with large boulder-field colonies.
Habitat
Open North Pacific and Bering Sea; rocky talus and crevices for nesting.
Diet
Euphausiids (krill), copepods, and small fish.
Natural history note
Crested Auklets emit a tangerine-like odor from feathers near the nape during breeding season — believed to function in mate choice and possibly as an ectoparasite repellent.