Keel-billed auk (SciiFii)

The keel-billed auk (Calinotacla carinarhamphos) is a species of auk, most closely related to the Lucas's auk (Mancalla neolucasi), that originally did not exist, but has since been created by SciiFii and introduced throughout the Pacific coasts of Mexico, United States, and Canada to help boost biodiversity. The keel-billed auk is a medium-sized bird that grows on average to be about 1 foot (30 centimeters) tall and weighing around 485-500 grams (17.1-17.6 ounces). Compared with auks of the Pinguinus genus, the keel-billed auk is more penguin-like in build and behavior. The keel-billed auk feeds primarily in the water and usually preys on cuttlefish, squid, krill, and other crustaceans, and ingest sea water with its prey. Their salt-excreting gland rids the salt from their bodies. Adult keel-billed auks can regularly dive to depths of between 20 to 50 meters deep in order to forage for prey. The keel-billed auks travel in large flocks when hunting for food. In the breeding season, these birds gather in large nesting colonies at the coasts which have a density of 20 nests per 100 m2. The breeding season begins with the arrival of adult Lucas's auks at the breeding colonies in March and extends into late August and September when the chicks are mature enough to leave the colonies. One of the largest of these colonies is located on the Mexican coastlines. Nests are built under bushes or in burrows. Two or three eggs are laid. Incubation lasts 39–42 days, a task which the parents share in 10- to 15-day shifts. The chicks are cared for by both parents for 29 days and are fed every two to three days. Normally, both are raised through adulthood, though occasionally only one chick is raised. The conservation status of the keel-billed auk is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts and the keel-billed auk's wide range.