Banded Crested Auklet in nesting colony

Have you ever heard the sound of a Crested Auklet nesting colony? If you had you would definitely remember the noisy barking, honking and whistling. Crested Auklets nest in colonies along the Alaskan coast. Their dumpy squat bodies are built for foraging in the cold waters off the Aleutian Islands. This cutie was photographed in June 2023 in the Aleutians West Census Area, Alaska. This is the same area she was outfitted with a USGS federal band and colored leg bands back in 2009!