Rhinoceros Auklet

Rhinoceros Auklet aka. Rhino Auklet aka. Unicorn Puffin(?!) aka. Horn-billed Puffin
Monterrey Bay, Monterrey, California, USA
January 2018
Member of the Auks, Murres, and Puffins Family
§A Loomery of Auks§

{Etymology Corner} Technically not an Auk, he is the only living member of his genus. Closer to a puffin, but honestly just his own thing. You could see why they would think he was an auklet though, when you see the absolutely wild looking birds he's related to. The rhinoceros part is pretty easy to figure out, it's that 'horn' above his bill. It's actually pretty mild in this photo, it gets even craggier. It only appears in breeding season, like the horn on a Pelican, and no one knows what it's for.

~true bird fact~ Was able to repopulate California's Farallon Islands after the introduced rabbit population there was eliminated. Obviously rabits don't eat the Auklets, but they did drive them out of burrows, preventing them from breeding there. Sort of a conservation success story. I was only able to see this guy with his horn because of the population there

Gives off bad vibes, a dangerous bird
He didn't see nothin', this bird, and who's asking?
Mother issues
You know, I don't normally do this, but this bird looks kind of like if one of those mugshot magazines fell in a puddle and was actually a bird
He has a displeasing head shape and eye position
His wings looks like they were just knocked off, thrown away, picked up out of a garbage can, and then glued back on by a clumsy child
Looking at this bird I feel like I've traveled back in time to an era before birds developed aesthetics
He looks just smart enough to be mean
Bird looks like when he honks a cigarette butt flies out of his throat
Let's be frank, this bird looks like he is honored and grateful that you invited him to your daughter's wedding, on the day of your daughter's wedding