Natural history
The Cassin’s auklet nests along the Pacific west coast from Baja, California to Alaska, relying on predator-free islands to dig a shallow burrow and raise 1 to 2 chicks a year. Dependent on crustaceans and larval fish to eat and feed chicks, Cassin’s auklets forage in upwelling fronts where nutrient-rich water is brought to the surface.
Conservation
As global temperatures increase, suitable breeding habitat for the species will shift and contract along the northern Pacific coast. The colony of Cassin’s auklets at Año Nuevo Island exemplifies how restored habitat can provide a haven for breeding birds. Although within their breeding range and the nutrient-rich California Current, Cassin’s auklets were not recorded on the island until 1994. The habitat restoration, conservation fence, and innovative custom nests at Año Nuevo have encouraged a growing population of breeding birds since 2010, providing a vital lens through which we can view restoration as mitigation for the challenges of climate change.
Vision
We are working with ceramic artists and restoration specialists from the Channel Islands and Farallon Islands to implement and improve ceramic nesting modules to provide safe breeding habitat and improve climate resiliency for this species across their range.
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