Least Auklet

Overview

Least Auklet: Very small seabird with black upperparts, small white plumes behind eyes, and black-mottled white underparts. Throat is white. Bill is short and red with a white tip. The legs and feet are gray. Feeds on zooplankton and crustaceans. Swift and direct flight low over the water.

Range and Habitat

Least Auklet: Breeds on the Aleutians and islands of Bering Sea and winters offshore near breeding range. Preferred habitats include rocky coasts and open ocean.

INTERESTING FACTS

The Least Auklet one of the most abundant seabirds in the world, with an estimated global population of around nine million birds. It is also known as the Knob-billed Auklet.
These birds are voracious eaters, consuming 86% of their body weight in food each day.
They are able to locate their nest sites from the previous season, even when covered with snow. They sit where the nest is and take possession of it once the snow has melted from it.
A group of auks has many collective nouns, including a "colony", "loomery", and "raft" of auks.

The Least Auklet has a current rating of Least Concern. The previous rating was Lower Risk. This is a marine bird that has a fairly large range of up to 1 million square kilometers. The population of this bird is estimated at around 24 million individual birds. The Least Auklet is native to the United States, Russia and Japan. It has also been seen in Canada as well. At this time it is not believed that there are any immediate threats or dangers that would threaten the range or the population of the Least Auklet.