FAUNA OF THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS AND ALASKA PENINSULA 193 



Cyclorrhynchus psittacula: Parakeet Auklet 



Attu : A-bo-chee-arch 

 Atka: Krech-mo-ga-tha 

 Russian, Commander Islands: Bjele-bruschka, "white breast" 



Bjele-bruski, plural (Stejneger) 



The parakeet auklet has been found nesting on Kodiak Island — 

 where a few specimens have been taken, and where Fisher col- 

 lected seven eggs in 1884 (Friedmann 1935). Apparently, that 

 is the easternmost point in its nesting range, and probably it is 

 not abundant there. We saw none in Kodiak-Afognak waters 

 on our voyages, and they do not seem to be abundant along the 

 Alaska Peninsula. On May 14, 1936, we found a few near Sutwik 

 Island. On May 18 and 19, some of this species were identified 

 among the numerous crested auklets feeding near Ikatan Penin- 

 sula of Unimak Island, and, on May 21, a flock of 100 or more 

 was seen near Cape Lazarof of that island. In the following year, 

 we again noted these birds near Ikatan Peninsula, and they were 

 fairly common near the Shumagins on May 23, 1937. 



These auklets apparently do not nest on the north side of 

 Alaska Peninsula. On April 30, 1925, I found a dead parakeet 

 auklet at Urilia Bay, Unimak Island; this was the only one seen 

 in a summer's work in that area. They do not nest on Amak 

 Island. 



Throughout the Aleutian Islands, however, this auklet is well 

 distributed. On June 4, 1911, Wetmore observed "large flocks of 

 paroquet [parakeet] auklets" in Unimak Pass. We found these 

 birds in small numbers at Umnak, Kagamil, and Uliaga; they 

 were quite plentiful at Carlisle, where they nest, and several 

 were nesting on Chagulak. (In 1940, Gabrielson found them to 

 be numerous there.) Nearly 150 were seen at Herbert Island, 

 and several thousand of these birds nest on Seguam. A few were 

 noted at Kagalaska, Aso, Tanaklak, Unak, Igitkin, Ulak (50 to 

 100), Kasatochi, Koniuji, Ogliuga, and Unalga. They were abun- 

 dant on Gareloi, Kiska, and Buldir, and were seen in fair numbers 

 on Semisopochnoi. A few were also noted at Segula (Chugul), 

 Khwostof, Little Sitkin, Amchitka, near Kavalga, Ulak (178° W. 

 long.), Ilak, and East Unalga. Probably the principal nesting 

 colonies are those at Gareloi, Kiska, Buldir, and Seguam, while 

 more-detailed study may show that Semisopochnoi also harbors 

 a great many more than we noticed. 



We did not record the parakeet auklets in the Near Islands, 

 but Turner (1895) reported it to be plentiful on Agattu, and 

 Clark (1910) said that it was "rather numerous in Unalga Pass 



