Bird of the Week – Parakeet Auklet
Yes, there are a lot of Alcids. Here’s another one, the Parakeet Auklet.
Parakeet Auklets, St. Paul Island, Pribilof Islands
The white line behind the eye is a plume, a very long, narrow white feather, that appears in breeding season. Like most birds, the shape of the bill tells you a lot about the species’ preferred food. The Parakeet’s bill is adapted to gelatinous prey like small jelly fish. Mated pairs have a charming, bill-tapping routine when they greet each other.
Camera geek stuff: f16, 1/250 ISO1000
For more bird photos, please visit Frozen Feather Images.
I think the alcids over the last few weeks are among my favorites. Thank you so much WC.
The plume is beautiful; it looks like great eye makeup. And any bird that eats jellyfish is tops in my book. Thanks, WC; it’s another great photo.