Bird of the Week – Rhinoceros Auklet

Another portrait from the Alaska SeaLife Center’s excellent Seabird Aviary. Photos of this species in the wild are very rare; they are solitary on the open ocean, nest in crevices on remote islands, and are extremely skittish. The prominent rhinoceros-like “horn” (actually a vertical extension of the mandibular plates) projecting above the upper mandible is present in breeding plumage. The precise function of this hood ornament, which is the same size in males and females, is unknown. Technical stuff: f8, 1/500, ISO 1600 More bird photos at Frozen Feather Images.