Tufted Puffins, Horned Puffins, Rhinoceros Auklets, Pigeon Guillemots, Common Murres and Black Oystercatchers reside in the Aquarium’s Aviary. Except for the Black Oystercatchers, these species are all members of the Alcid family. They spend most of their lives at sea, returning to rookeries along the coast in the spring to breed and raise their young. All of these species go through a molting process each year. Some birds go through a dramatic transition between breeding plumage and non-breeding plumage. For example, in the spring and summer a puffin’s bill becomes brightly colored, and the feathers on its face transition from black to a brilliant white. Tufted Puffins grow long, golden tufts above their eyes, and Horned Puffins grow distinct “eyelashes” above their eyes. Once breeding season is over, the birds molt again, sporting darker plumage throughout the fall and winter.
Veteran divers, Alcids gracefully “fly” underwater and frequently dive to depths of 30-40 feet, although common murres have been recorded diving to 400 feet or more. Their diet consists primarily of small fish like herring or smelt.
Black Oystercatchers are a shorebird species and live in rocky intertidal areas. They do not dive for fish, but chisel limpets, crabs and mussels from tide pool rocks and break them open with their beaks. They are more graceful flyers than the relatively heavy-boned, diving seabirds, and are very vocal, using a series of shrill whistles and calls to communicate with each other. Adult oystercatchers have deep red beaks and sleek black feathers that remain unchanged throughout the year.
