Least Auklet
Photo: Nigel Voaden · CC BY 4.0

Auks, Puffins, and Murres

Least Auklet

Aethia pusilla

LCLeast Concern
Family
Auks, Puffins, and Murres (Alcidae)
Order
Charadriiformes

Overview

The least auklet (Aethia pusilla) is a seabird and the smallest species of auk. It is the most abundant seabird in North America, and one of the most abundant in the world, with a population of around nine million birds. They breed on the islands of Alaska and Siberia, and spend the winter close to the edge of the ice sheet. Their largest colonies are on the Aleutian Islands, St.

Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Range and habitat

Breeds North Pacific coasts and islands patchily from eastern Chukotka to Kuril and Commander islands (eastern Russia) eastward through Bering Sea and Aleutian islands; winters offshore in North Pacific, to northern Sea of Japan and western British Columbia (southwestern Canada).

Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.

Sources and further reading

Last updated September 29, 2026.