Last night I mentioned that I had seen a couple of Rhinoceros Auklets close to shore. Those were adults, but today I noticed a different individual that appears to be a juvenile.
Although there have been observations in previous years hinting that Rhinoceros Auklets might have nested on Bodega Head, I don't think there are any definitive records.
Seeing a juvenile close to shore in July hints at the possibility of nesting locally, although the alternative is that this juvenile originated from a nesting site elsewhere (e.g., the Farallon Islands or a site farther north) and then dispersed to our area.
I had a large lens today and this bird was quite close to shore, so here's a zoomed in view of the bill with a tiny "horn" (in this case, a bump) just starting to appear at the base of the upper mandible:
P.S. I came across a fun audio recording of Rhinoceros Auklets —
adults and a begging juvenile. If you want to hear what they sound like, here's the link to the recording.
3 comments:
These Auklet photos are simply fascinating, and then there's the bonus track of the recording!!! Thank you, Jackie.
Such surprising sounds! Just discovered your blog through a search about carnaria japonica - looking forward to reading more posts!
Hello!
Yes, I agree, the auklet calls are somewhat surprising! For me, having heard Atlantic Puffins on the East Coast, the adult auklets sound somewhat similar to puffins.
:) Jackie
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