Facts about Great auk
- 08
Skeletal analysis reveals great auks possessed a distinctive knob-like projection on their skulls called an occipital crest, unique among alcid species and possibly used in aggressive territorial displays.
- 07
European egg collectors in the 1800s valued great auk eggs at astronomical prices, with single specimens commanding up to 200 pounds sterling on the black market.
- 06
Subfossil bones indicate great auks could dive to depths exceeding 300 feet while hunting, surpassing most modern seabird species in diving capability.
- 05
Colonies of great auks could span several acres on remote islands, with nesting sites so densely packed that birds occupied nearly every available rock crevice and ground space.
- 04
Archaeological evidence shows great auks consumed primarily small fish and krill, leaving behind fossilized stomach contents and bone isotope signatures revealing their marine diet.
- 03
Fossils and skeletal remains reveal great auks possessed specialized flipper-like wings adapted for underwater propulsion rather than flight, similar to modern penguins.
- 02
Standing nearly 30 inches tall and weighing up to 5 pounds, great auks were flightless seabirds that nested in massive colonies numbering in the hundreds of thousands before European hunting reduced them to extinction.
- 01
The last great auk breeding pair was killed on Eldey Island off Iceland in 1844, extinguishing the species forever.