Great auk

Last of these beautifully glossy, black and white birds were hunted in 1844 off the coast of Iceland

John James Audubon

The great auk is an extinct flightless Alcidae species with distinctive black upper parts and white under parts. The Razorbill (Alca torda) is its closest living cousin, as shown by DNA tests and morphological and biogeographical investigations.

The great auk was utterly defenseless against predators such as ruthless and resourceful humans. The birds were forced back into more isolated places after being driven away from their most accessible nesting islands. They only bred on a few islands in the early 1800s since landing was difficult for these awkward birds.

For more accessible access to the water, the great auk is bred on rocky islands with gradual slopes to the sea. The foraging regions were in open ocean waters with chilly temperatures. The great auk was a piscivore with a high level of specialization. Following an analysis of bill dimensions, the most common prey was fish measuring 14-19cm (5.5 – 7.5 in) in length.

Distribution

Country
Population est.
Status
Year
Comments
Canada
0
Official estimate
EX
2021
Extinct 1770s
Faroe Islands
0
Official estimate
EX
2021
Extinct locally
Greenland
0
Official estimate
EX
2021
Extinct locally
Iceland
0
Official estimate
EX
2021
Extinct 1844
Ireland
0
Official estimate
EX
2021
Extinct locally
United Kingdom
0
Official estimate
EX
2021
Last seen 1840

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Terrestrial / Aquatic

Altricial / Precocial

Polygamous / Monogamous

Dimorphic (size) / Monomorphic

Active: Diurnal / Nocturnal

Social behavior: Solitary / Pack / Herd / Flock

Diet: Carnivore / Herbivore / Omnivore / Piscivorous / Insectivore

Migratory: Yes / No

Domesticated: Yes / No

Dangerous: Yes / No