Breeding alcids at the Seattle Aquarium

Abstract

Four species of alcids are maintained in an outdoor exhibit at the Seattle Aquarium. For three successive years. a pair of Tufted puffins Lunda eirrhata has hatched a chick, two of which have fledged. A Rhinoceros auklet Crrorlzinca tnonceruata pair has nested and eggs have been laid every year since 1991. Although the eggs were infertile, breeding attempts by this species are unusual in captivity. The paper describes the enclosure, diet, provision of nesting burrows. observations on breeding and notes on hand-rearing a puffin chick.