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The great auk ( Pinguinus impennis) is a species of flightless alcid that became extinct in the mid-19th century. It was the only modern species in the genus Pinguinus.
Learn how the Great Auk, a flightless seabird once abundant in the north Atlantic, was hunted to extinction by sailors and fishermen in the 19th century. See specimens, books and artifacts from the Smithsonian's collections that tell the story of this vanished bird.
May 17, 2024 · Great auk, flightless seabird extinct since 1844. It belonged to the family Alcidae (order Charadriiformes) and bred in colonies on rocky islands off North Atlantic coasts. Utterly defenseless, great auks were killed by rapacious hunters for food and bait.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
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In 1844, members of a small expedition found two of the birds on an Icelandic island, strangled them and crushed their only egg. That was the last confirmed sighting. In this way, the great auk...
Nov 27, 2019 · A study of ancient DNA reveals that hunting by humans caused the extinction of the great auk, a flightless seabird that lived across the north Atlantic. The research shows that the species was genetically diverse and thriving before it was hunted to extinction by 1850.
Nov 6, 2015 · At nearly three feet tall and weighing ten pounds, the Great Auk was the bulkiest member of its family of seabirds. But, despite its name, it wasn’t the largest of all time. Between 8.7 and 4.9...
Learn about the history and causes of the extinction of the great auk, a large flightless bird native to the North Atlantic. Find out how the last pair of great auks was killed in 1844 and why their name lives on in science.
