The family of seabirds called alcids is an eclectic bunch that includes puffins and murres. The largest alcids are about the size of a duck, but the smallest — called the Least Auklet — could fit in the palm of your hand. With their short wings whirring, these miniature seabirds look like swarms of feathered bumblebees as they forage for tiny crustaceans on the ocean’s surface. Least Auklets form massive breeding colonies on rocky islands of the north Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea. In August, when the young birds are ready to take their first flight, millions of auklets scatter to the winds across the northern seas.More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get ad-free listening and other perks. BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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