Alcids in North America

Great Argus

Well-Known Member
5+ year member
While this topic has been addressed before, it was an old thread and some new information would be good.

Same as the last two threads, no information older than June 2016 was used. In the Zoochat forums and galleries I did note a couple facilities keeping alcids that did not have any recent mention.


Two species previously held, no recent mention:
Least Auklet — Any left at Cincinnati?
Cassin’s Auklet — Seattle Aquarium held, do they still?
 
Uria


Common Murre (11 holders)

Alaska Sealife Center
Cincinnati
Georgia Aquarium
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Montreal Biodome
Omaha
Oregon Coast Aquarium
Point Defiance
Seattle Aquarium
SeaWorld San Antonio
SeaWorld San Diego

Thick-billed Murre (1 holder)

North Carolina


Alca

Razorbill (2 holders)

Montreal Biodome
National Aquarium


Cepphus


Black Guillemot (2 holders)

Montreal Biodome
National Aquarium

Pigeon Guillemot (7 holders)

Alaska Sealife Center
Aquarium of the Pacific
Cincinnati
Georgia Aquarium
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Oregon Coast Aquarium
Seattle Aquarium


Aethia


Crested Auklet (2 holders)

Aquarium of the Pacific
Cincinnati

Whiskered Auklet (1 holder)

Cincinnati

Parakeet Auklet (1 holder)

North Carolina


Cerorhinca


Rhinoceros Auklet (3 holders)

Alaska Sealife Center
Oregon Coast Aquarium
Seattle Aquarium


Fratercula


Atlantic Puffin (5 holders)

Cincinnati
Montreal Biodome
National Aquarium
SeaWorld San Antonio
SeaWorld San Diego

Horned Puffin (8 holders)

Alaska Sealife Center
Aquarium of the Pacific
Cincinnati
Georgia Aquarium
North Carolina
Oregon Coast Aquarium
Point Defiance
St. Louis

Tufted Puffin (12 holders)

Alaska Sealife Center
Aquarium of the Pacific
Bronx
Central Park
Georgia Aquarium
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Oregon Coast Aquarium
Point Defiance
Seattle Aquarium
SeaWorld San Antonio
SeaWorld San Diego
St. Louis
 
Uria


Common Murre (11 holders)

Alaska Sealife Center
Cincinnati
Georgia Aquarium
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Montreal Biodome
Omaha
Oregon Coast Aquarium
Point Defiance
Seattle Aquarium
SeaWorld San Antonio
SeaWorld San Diego

Thick-billed Murre (1 holder)

North Carolina


Alca

Razorbill (2 holders)

Montreal Biodome
National Aquarium


Cepphus


Black Guillemot (2 holders)

Montreal Biodome
National Aquarium

Pigeon Guillemot (7 holders)

Alaska Sealife Center
Aquarium of the Pacific
Cincinnati
Georgia Aquarium
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Oregon Coast Aquarium
Seattle Aquarium


Aethia


Crested Auklet (2 holders)

Aquarium of the Pacific
Cincinnati

Whiskered Auklet (1 holder)

Cincinnati

Parakeet Auklet (1 holder)

North Carolina


Cerorhinca


Rhinoceros Auklet (3 holders)

Alaska Sealife Center
Oregon Coast Aquarium
Seattle Aquarium


Fratercula


Atlantic Puffin (5 holders)

Cincinnati
Montreal Biodome
National Aquarium
SeaWorld San Antonio
SeaWorld San Diego

Horned Puffin (8 holders)

Alaska Sealife Center
Aquarium of the Pacific
Cincinnati
Georgia Aquarium
North Carolina
Oregon Coast Aquarium
Point Defiance
St. Louis

Tufted Puffin (12 holders)

Alaska Sealife Center
Aquarium of the Pacific
Bronx
Central Park
Georgia Aquarium
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Oregon Coast Aquarium
Point Defiance
Seattle Aquarium
SeaWorld San Antonio
SeaWorld San Diego
St. Louis
Tufted Puffin is also kept by Como Park.
 
I visited Saint Louis in July of 2016 and they had Atlantic Puffin as well as the other two species at that time. Not sure about the present.
 
Monterey Bay Aquarium also holds Horned Puffin.

Omaha has Tufted Puffin; someone listed them as having Atlantic Puffin in 2018, but the most recent gallery photo of the exhibit only says Tufted Puffin and Common Murre so I'm not sure about the Atlantic still being there.

Central Park also had Atlantic back in late 2018.

Hemker Park lists Puffins on their website, which the photo indicates to be Atlantic (but no species profile and zero social media posts or ZooChat visitors to confirm).

I visited this summer and they had only Horned and Tufted.

I've also only ever seen Horned and Tufted at Saint Louis, as well as listed on their website.
 
Monterey Bay Aquarium also holds Horned Puffin.

They do not, they hold Tufted Puffin, Pigeon Guillemot, and Common Murre. They did hold Horned Puffin for awhile, but then no longer did for some reason. There were no Horned Puffin to be seen on my visit in early 2019.
 
They do not, they hold Tufted Puffin, Pigeon Guillemot, and Common Murre. They did hold Horned Puffin for awhile, but then no longer did for some reason. There were no Horned Puffin to be seen on my visit in early 2019.

Interesting. They are still listed on the website, I suppose it's an outdated listing then?
 
Interesting. They are still listed on the website, I suppose it's an outdated listing then?

If you tap the profile, it says "Not on Display at the Aquarium." I think they were on display til some point in 2018, when they were apparently removed. I saw footage of them there, but only Tufted for a couple years now.

Many animals listed are actually not on display, theirs is a rather inaccurate one unless you click in to the individual profiles. Most of the stuff they list they have kept previously though, barring the animals under the Monterey Bay Wildlife tab.
 
If you tap the profile, it says "Not on Display at the Aquarium."
Many animals listed are actually not on display, theirs is a rather inaccurate one unless you click in to the individual profiles.

I did not :p That is a very silly system, as it basically advertises species they don't have anymore; is the average person who wants to see what animals they have going to bother clicking the profiles?
 
I did not :p That is a very silly system, as it basically advertises species they don't have anymore; is the average person who wants to see what animals they have going to bother clicking the profiles?

I agree, not very effective. The average person won't click on the profiles and assume.
However the situation is made more complicated in that Laysan Albatross is listed as "Not on Display" but is at the aquarium and brought out for public viewing. Makes one wonder if some of the others possibly are held behind the scenes.
 
Monterey Bay Aquarium also holds Horned Puffin.

Omaha has Tufted Puffin; someone listed them as having Atlantic Puffin in 2018, but the most recent gallery photo of the exhibit only says Tufted Puffin and Common Murre so I'm not sure about the Atlantic still being there.

Central Park also had Atlantic back in late 2018.

Hemker Park lists Puffins on their website, which the photo indicates to be Atlantic (but no species profile and zero social media posts or ZooChat visitors to confirm).



I've also only ever seen Horned and Tufted at Saint Louis, as well as listed on their website.
I can confirm that Omaha keeps Atlantic Puffin.
 
Minor update:

Uria

Common Murre (11 holders)

Alaska Sealife Center
Cincinnati
Georgia Aquarium
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Montreal Biodome
Omaha
Oregon Coast Aquarium
Point Defiance
Seattle Aquarium
SeaWorld San Antonio
SeaWorld San Diego

Thick-billed Murre (1 holder)

North Carolina


Alca

Razorbill (2 holders)

Montreal Biodome
National Aquarium


Cepphus

Black Guillemot (2 holders)

Montreal Biodome
National Aquarium

Pigeon Guillemot (7 holders)

Alaska Sealife Center
Aquarium of the Pacific
Cincinnati
Georgia Aquarium
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Oregon Coast Aquarium
Seattle Aquarium


Aethia

Crested Auklet (1 holder)

Aquarium of the Pacific

Parakeet Auklet (1 holder)

North Carolina


Cerorhinca

Rhinoceros Auklet (3 holders)

Alaska Sealife Center
Oregon Coast Aquarium
Seattle Aquarium


Fratercula

Atlantic Puffin (7-8 holders)

Central Park
Cincinnati
Hemker?
Montreal Biodome
National Aquarium
Omaha
SeaWorld San Antonio
SeaWorld San Diego

Horned Puffin (8 holders)

Alaska Sealife Center
Aquarium of the Pacific
Cincinnati
Georgia Aquarium
North Carolina
Oregon Coast Aquarium
Point Defiance
St. Louis

Tufted Puffin (14 holders)

Alaska Sealife Center
Aquarium of the Pacific
Bronx
Central Park
Como Park
Georgia Aquarium
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Omaha
Oregon Coast Aquarium
Point Defiance
Seattle Aquarium
SeaWorld San Antonio
SeaWorld San Diego
St. Louis
 
Pretty sure Hemker's last Atlantic Puffin passed away before my last visit, as the exhibit they would usually be found in held two female Common Eider. It is equally likely they could be found in one of the two larger aviaries, though.
 
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