Teuri Island Seabird Breeding Ground

A black-and-white seabird that looks a little like a penguin, swimming underwater with its wings to catch fish. In Japan Teuri Island off Hokkaido is the main breeding site, but numbers have fallen sharply and conservation efforts continue.

The rhinoceros auklet is an auk that grows a small horn-like knob at the base of its bill in the breeding season. It catches fish at sea and returns at night to burrows on its island. Breeding colonies such as Teuri Island in Hokkaido and islands in Miyagi are designated Natural Monuments as seabird nesting grounds.

The spectacled guillemot is an auk that is black in summer plumage, with red feet and a red mouth lining, living on rocky coasts. It nests in rock crevices and dives for fish. In Japan it breeds at a few sites in Hokkaido, including Teuri Island, whose seabird colony is a Natural Monument.

The Black-tailed Gull is a gull with a black band on its tail and a cat-like call that gave it its Japanese name. It breeds in large colonies on Japan's coasts and islands. Breeding sites such as Kabushima in Hachinohe and Teuri Island in Hokkaido are designated Natural Monuments and have long been cherished locally.