Back to Field Guide
Least Auklet
Aethia pusilla
Migration Flyway
Showing primary migration corridor(s) for this species
Last Spotted Near You
About the Least Auklet
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. Lawrence Island and Little Diomede Island.
Source: Wikipedia
Classification
- Scientific name
- Aethia pusilla
- Family
- Auks, Murres, and Puffins
- Order
- Charadriiformes
Similar species
Other members of the auks, murres, and puffins family recorded in North America — a useful place to start if you are not certain of your identification.
- Ancient Murrelet Synthliboramphus antiquus
- Atlantic Puffin Fratercula arctica
- Black Guillemot Cepphus grylle
- Cassin's Auklet Ptychoramphus aleuticus
- Common Murre Uria aalge
- Craveri's Murrelet Synthliboramphus craveri
- Crested Auklet Aethia cristatella
- Dovekie Alle alle
- Guadalupe Murrelet Synthliboramphus hypoleucus
- Horned Puffin Fratercula corniculata
- Kittlitz's Murrelet Brachyramphus brevirostris
- Long-billed Murrelet Brachyramphus perdix
Know when the Least Auklet turns up near you
How rare bird alerts work →Gear for spotting Least Auklet
Optics
Best Binoculars for Beginners
You don't need to spend a fortune. These four pairs will get you birding confidently on day one.
8 min readRead guide
Cameras
Cameras for Bird Photography
From phone adapters to dedicated rigs, here's what actually works for capturing birds in the field.
12 min readRead guide