Photo: Greg Thompson/USFWS · Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge · U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service · Public Domain
Alcids
Least Auklet
Aethia pusilla
The world's smallest alcid — barely larger than a sparrow — yet one of the most numerous seabirds on Earth. Least Auklets breed in staggering numbers on the Pribilofs, with colonies on St. Paul and St. George numbering in the millions. A mosaic of black, white, and gray, with a stubby red-orange bill and a white facial plume.
Where to look
St. Paul Island and St. George Island (Pribilofs) host the planet's largest colonies. The roar of a million auklets launching from boulder fields at dawn is an unforgettable experience.
Habitat
Open Bering Sea and North Pacific; rocky talus and boulder fields for nesting.
Diet
Copepods, euphausiids, and other small zooplankton filtered from the water column.
Natural history note
Least Auklets are so abundant on St. Paul Island that their wheeling flocks can be seen on weather radar as they depart and return to colony sites.