The crested auklet is a small seabird of the family Alcidae, distributed throughout the northern Pacific and the Bering Sea. The species feeds by diving in deep waters, eating krill and a variety of small marine animals. It nests in dense colonies of up to 1 million individuals in the Bering Sea and the Sea of Okhotsk. It often breeds in mixed-species colonies with the least auklet, a smaller congener.
Region
North Pacific and Bering Sea
Typical Environment
Breeds on offshore islands of the Bering Sea, Aleutians, Commander and Kuril Islands, and along the Sea of Okhotsk. Colonies occur on talus slopes, lava flows, and boulder fields near sea cliffs. Outside the breeding season, birds disperse widely across subarctic waters of the North Pacific, remaining pelagic. They favor productive, cold-water zones with strong currents and fronts where zooplankton is concentrated.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 600 m
Climate Zone
Polar
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Crested auklets are famous for the forward-curled crest on their forehead and a distinctive citrus-like scent used in social displays. They nest in immense, dense colonies on remote islands and often mix with least auklets. Pairs perform elaborate courtship, including crest-presenting and ‘ruff-sniffing’. They are superb pursuit divers, using their wings to ‘fly’ underwater after swarms of krill.
Pair
Crested auklets on a cliffside
Chick in hand
Illustration from 1913
Specimen covered in oil after the MV Selendang Ayu oil spill
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats low over the water; strong, direct flier
Social Behavior
Highly colonial, nesting in rock crevices and under boulders in vast, noisy aggregations. Monogamous pairs perform ritualized displays involving crest presentation and mutual preening. They often breed in mixed-species colonies with least auklets and synchronize daily commuting between sea and colony.
Migratory Pattern
Seasonal migrant
Song Description
Calls are nasal, buzzing and purring trills, with soft croaks during courtship. At colonies, a constant chorus of raspy chatter carries over the rocks. Displays include quiet coos and murmurs exchanged at close range.
