Tufted Puffin (Fratercula cirrhata)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Fratercula ("little brother; friar") cirrhata ("curly haired")

 

Breeding plumage Tufted Puffin (Fratercula cirrhata) on LHalf Moon Bay Pelagic - September 2022

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 750g  /  Length: 35m  /  Wingspan: 63cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Tufted Puffin is the largest and most distinct of the three Puffin species, and is named for the long blonde "swoops" of feathers on its head while in breeding plumage. A species localised to the North Pacific, it is found ranging from California to Northern Japan, although outside the breeding species it heads out to sea. Amazingly, this species has actually been recorded in the UK, with a single bird having turned up very briefly at a site widely featured on this blog: Oare Marshes!

Related Species:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Alcidae
Genus: Fratercula
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 
Breeds along the Coast of all 4 Continental Pacific States
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen on the Half Moon Bay Pelagic Trip

 Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Rhinoceros Auklet (Cerorhinca monocerata)

OTHER NAMES: Rhino Auklet, Horn-billed Puffin, Unicorn Puffin
Latin Etymology: Cerorhinca ("horn bill") monocerata ("one horned")

Two breeding plumage Rhinoceros Auklet (Cerorhinca monocerata) seen on Half Moon Bay Pelagic Trip - September 2022

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 350-620g  /  Length: 28-29cm  /  Wingspan: 59-62cm
NO UK STATUS/ IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Rhinoceros Auklet is the closest relation of the puffins, and shares some similar traits including a fairly dumpy body with a relatively short thick bill used to grasp prey in lines, and the fact it has an unusually decorated beak which is lost in winter. In this case, the namesake "horn" is lost in Winter. Additionally, like the puffins, it is a burrow nester.

Related Species:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Alcidae
Genus: Cerorhinca
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 
Breeds in Alaska and small areas of all West Coast states, found in non-breeding season offshore of the Lower 48
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen on the Half Moon Bay Pelagic Trip

 Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Brachyramphus ("short bill") marmoratus ("marbled")

Two non-breeding Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) seen on Half Moon Bay Pelagic Trip - September 2022

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 220g  /  Length: 25cm  /  Wingspan: 40cm
NO UK STATUS/ IUCN Red List: Endangered

The Marbled Murrelet is a peculiarity in several ways; it was one of the last North American breeding birds to have its breeding habitat discovered, and it turns out this was due to it being them, unusually for seabirds, being in trees, and specifically in the moss at the top of old growth trees, the characteristics of which don't appear to apear until trees are at least 175yrs old. It's nesting habitat wasn't actually locations until 1974. It is also somewhat unusual in that in contrast to many auk species, its non-breeding plumage is the more dramatic black and white, in contrast with brown breeding plumage.

Related Species:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Alcidae
Genus: Brachyramphus
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 
Breeds in Alaska and small areas of all West Coast states, found offshore in the North Pacific
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at Seen on the Half Moon Bay Pelagic Trip

 Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Black Guillemot (Cepphus grylle)

OTHER NAMES: Tystie

Latin Etymology: Cepphus ("pale waterbird") grylle (Gotland dialect name for Black Guillemot)

Adult Summer plumage Black Guillemot (subspecies C. g. arcticus) at St. Bee's Head, Cumbria - March 2013

Featured Subspecies: Cepphus grylle arcticus
Weight: 380-575g  /  Length: 32-38cm  /  Wingspan: 49-58cm
UK AMBER LIST  / IUCN Red List Least Concern

The Black Guillemot is the rarest and most limited in range or Britain's breeding auks, it is mostly found around the West Coast of Scotland, Ireland and the Isle of Man.  However, there are also small populations in England and Wales, in Wales on Anglesey, and as is the case of this bird, in England off St Bee's Head.  They are at close range, in breeding plumage, quite a striking bird - unlike a Common Guillemot they are black all over except for the white wing panel and bright red feet and gape.  They nest right at the bottom of cliffs and rocky surfaces, well below the other auks and can sometimes be seen nesting in harbour walls.

Related Species:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Alcidae
Genus: Cepphus
Subspecies: C. g. mandtii, C. g. grylle, C. g. arcticus, C. g. faroeensis, C. g. islandicus

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A localised breeding resident (19,000 pairs) and Wintering species (58-80,000 birds) 

 - Single bird seen at St. Bee's Head in April 2013, .

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Razorbill (Alca torda)

OTHER NAMES: Black-billed Auk, Falk

Latin Etymology: Alca (Alke - Norweigian name for Razorbill) torida (from Gotland dialect name)

Three adult Razorbill (subspecies A. t. torda) at Bempton Cliffs, East Yorkshire - April 2022

Featured Subspecies: Alca torda torda
Weight: 505-890g  /  Length: 37-39cm  /  Wingspan: 63-66cm
UK AMBER LIST / IUCN Red List - Near Threatened

The Razorbill is the rarest auk to breed in any major numbers in England (there are a very small number of black guillemot, but that species is mainly confined to Scotland) and thus the hardest to photograph. It also leaves at the end of July, further confounding the problem. Though they are present, I failed to see any on my trip to the Farne Islands, and so it fell to spotting them on the sea beneath the cliffs at Trevose head for initially photographing them. If you have the luck to go over to the Farnes between March and mid-July you'd probably be able to achieve much better photographs - I had seen them on my previous trip. They do however have the benefit over puffins that they do nest on the mainland, and so can often be seen during the breeding season on the sea beneath cliffs.

Related Species:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Alcidae
Genus: Alca
Subspecies: A. t. torda, A. t. islandica

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A locally common Summer breeding species (130,000 pairs)

 - Flocks seen at Trevose Head, Farne Islands, St. Bee's Head and Tintagel in Spring and early Summer.

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Common Guillemot (Uria aalge)

OTHER NAMES: Guillemot, Common Murre
Latin Etymology: Uria (waterbird mentioned by Athenaeus) aalge (Danish name for auk)

 Adult Common Guillemot (subspecies U. a. albionis) in Bempton Cliffs, East Yorkshire - April 2022

Featured Subspecies: Uria aalge albionis

Weight: 38-45g  /  Length: 38-45cm  /  Wingspan: 67cm

UK AMBER LIST  / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Guillemots are not precisely elusive in the broader sense, there are apparently 1.4 million pairs in the UK. On the flip side, they only come ashore to nest between March and July, and then only at cliff sites - primarily on the West and Northern coasts. This means, that although certainly numerous, if you don't happen to live anywhere near these places you have a window of oppertunity each year to do so. By the time I went to the Farnes and got first Guillemots for this blog, I only saw one or two over the entire trip. The Farne islands are almost certainly your best bet for photographing this species as with many sea birds it allows you to get right up close to them in a habitat where they are used to seeing people.

Further Information:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Alcidae
Genus: Uuria
Subspecies: U. a. aalge, U. a. albionis, U. a. hyperborea, U. a. inornata, U. a. californica

- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - Common Summer breeding species (950,000 pairs).

 - Seen at several locations including  Trevose Head, St. Bee's Head and the Farne Islands.

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus,IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula artica)

OTHER NAMES: Puffin
Latin Etymology: Fratercula ("little brother; friar") artica ("Northern")

Three adult Atlantic Puffin (subspecies F. a. grabae) at the Farne Islands, Northumbria - July 2009

Featured Subspecies: Fratercula artica grabae
Weight: 500g  /  Length: 25cm  /  Wingspan: 47-63cm
UK RED LIST / IUCN Red List: Vulnerable

Puffins suffer the same problem as many sea-birds for photographing - they live exclusively by the sea, and therefore, firstly require getting to that location. Puffins are seemingly more limited in range than guillemots, seemingly being found almost exclusivly in the West coast, Scotland and Northumbria. Puffins also have a further issue - unlike the other species of Auk, they tend to nest on offshore islands more than on the mainland, presumably due to predation. As with other ocean going birds, they come ashore only to breed from April to August and then leave.I would recommend the Farne Islands as a very good place to photograph these birds, this is the only place I've actually seen them for a start, but you can also get very close to them for photography in a setting where they are used to humans.

Further Information:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Alcidae
Genus: Fratercula
Subspecies: F. a. naumanni, F. a. arctica, F. a. grabae 

- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - Numerous but very local breeding species (581,000 pairs).

 - Seen at St. Bee's Head and Farne Islands

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .