{"id":3333,"date":"2020-10-30T18:26:37","date_gmt":"2020-10-30T18:26:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordpress.viu.ca\/biol325\/?p=3333"},"modified":"2020-12-04T20:30:55","modified_gmt":"2020-12-04T20:30:55","slug":"unicorn-puffins-and-their-spectacular-glowing-horns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordpress.viu.ca\/biol325\/2020\/10\/30\/unicorn-puffins-and-their-spectacular-glowing-horns\/","title":{"rendered":"Unicorn Puffins and Their Spectacular Glowing Horns"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Rhinoceros Auklets (sometimes called Horn-billed Puffins or Unicorn Puffins) are incredible birds that demonstrate how diverse nature can be. Since they tend to be nocturnal during breeding season or far out at sea the rest of the year, not a lot is known about these mysterious birds! Recent research is bringing new aspects of the species into the light and we are still learning more about them all the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Natural History of the Rhinoceros Auklet<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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What is a Rhinoceros Auklet? <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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A Rhinoceros Auklet in breeding plumage posing for the camera (Photo by Seattle Aquarium<\/a>). <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

A Rhinoceros Auklet is a medium-sized seabird with a heavy body and short neck. They are mostly dark grey in colour with a white underside. The bill is relatively large and yellowish-orange in colour, and they have large webbed feet attached to short little legs. Their wings are broad and pointed for lots of swimming and diving underwater. Females and males exhibit the same characteristics, except that the males are slightly larger (Addison, 2008<\/a>). To put them in perspective, the average Rhinoceros Auklet is 28-29 cm long and weigh 350-620 g (Cornell University: All About Birds<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Depending on the season, Rhinoceros Auklets may look quite different. These differences are referred to as breeding and nonbreeding plumage. Rhinoceros Auklets don their breeding plumage in early spring by growing a white horn on top of their bill and two white tufts on their face. At the end of the season in late summer, they will shed their horn and lose their white tufts to take on their nonbreeding plumage. Juvenile Rhinoceros Auklets closely resemble nonbreeding adults except for a smaller and darker bill (Cornell University: All About Birds<\/a>). Despite having a similar appearance to other species, a Rhinoceros Auklet in full breeding plumage is hard to miss!<\/p>\n\n\n\n