Bird of the Week – Crested Auklet
WC has neglected the Alaska alcids, the “flying footballs” of Alaska waters. Alaska doesn’t have penguins – whatever they may think in the Lower 48 – but we come close with these diving seabirds. We’ll start with a species that always makes WC smile, Crested Auklets.
Crested Auklets, St. Paul Island, Pribilof Islands
The crest is a sexual characteristic in both genders; both males and females prefer a mate with a big crest.
Let the innuendo begin.
Camera geek stuff: f14, 1/60 ISO1000
For more bird photos, please visit Frozen Feather Images.
What sweet-looking birds, and what a great photo. Thanks for the education, WC.
Squee!
Thank you WC- I always learn something new when you post pictures of the
beautiful birds you take.
For instance with the Crested Auklets-i read ” Sexual Selection is a mode of natural selection in which some individuals out-reproduce others of a population because they are better at securing mates”.”depends, not on a struggle for existance, but on a struggle between the males for possession of the females; the result is not death to the unsuccessful competitor, but few or no offspring”.Darwin
They are utterly adorable, and..with a carver in our extended family..I can see..in minds eye..some of the ways..the indig. carvers..use/add and mutate..swirls, feathers/talons/claws and toes..ongoing. Truly..Beautiful. Thank you.
Some like Crest, some like Colgate. Live and let live.
I’ll bite. Isn’t the white stripe supposed to encircle both ends of your football?