WatchList Species Account for Whiskered Auklet (Aethea pygmaea)

Qualifies for the list as a Rare Yellow List Species

Photo: Glen Tepke

The distinctive, small Whiskered Auklet occurs on an arc of islands in the North Pacific, from the Aleutians in the east through the Kuril Islands of eastern Russia. One of the rarest alcids, it nests in loose colonies in rocky crevices and forages at sea on convergent tidal fronts for marine zooplankton. Numbering an estimated 24,000, population trends for the bird are unknown, though it is a locally common breeder in the Aleutians. Feeding in nearshore areas, its activities at nest sites are almost entirely nocturnal, presumably to avoid avian predation. This auklet winters in the seas around the islands where it nests. Much of its nesting habitat is inaccessible and protected, but it is vulnerable to predation by introduced arctic foxes and Norway rats; removal of these predators from breeding islands is a priority in conserving the species. It is attracted to lights, and many have been killed in incidents involving lighted fishing vessels. Oil spills are also a threat. In general, however, current conditions are not threatening in the remote habitat of the Whiskered Auklet.