The animal in the photo (A) is a pigeon guillemot (Cepphus columba). The pigeon guillemot can be distinguished from the parakeet auklet and rhinoceros auklet by several key physical characteristics. It is the only one of the three species that has a black bill, vibrant vermillion legs, and a distinct white patch on its upperwings.
The rhinoceros auklet (Cerorhinca monocerata) shown in photo (B) is named for the horn-like projection of the its upper mandible. This horn is present in both males and females. The range of the rhinoceros auklet overlaps with that of the pigeon guillemot, except that it spends its winters further southward, in coastal regions that stretch from British Columbia to the Baja Peninsula.
The parakeet auklet (Aethia psittacula) shown in photo (C) has a line of white auricular feathers that taper down and back from each eye (these are not present in the pigeon guillemot). Additionally, the parakeet auklet has white eyes (the pigeon guillemot has black eyes). Parakeet auklets breed on islands and rocky coasts in and around the Gulf of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands. Its breeding range also includes islands and coastal regions of the Bering Strait southward to the Sea of Okhotsk.
