Wingless auk. The meaning of the phrase "wingless auk. Did you like the material? subscribe to our email newsletter

16.05.2020

The wingless auk became the first feathered species living in North America, which was included in the list of extinct animals not due to natural processes. evolutionary development life on Earth, but because of thoughtless human activity.

The wingless auk did not get its name by chance. Indeed, this bird belonged to the flightless group. By appearance she resembled a penguin, and therefore in early descriptions one can find her name such as “northern penguin”.

Males and females of wingless auks almost did not differ. Their whole body was covered with shiny feathers, black on the head and back, and white on the chest and abdomen. Only with the beginning of the mating season, large white spots appeared around the eyes of males.

These were pretty large birds. The height of individual individuals often exceeded 75 cm. As a rule, they settled in large colonies on the islands of the Atlantic Ocean located near the North American continent.

Some time after the mating season, the female wingless auk had one egg. Its diameter was about 15 cm. At the same time, the birds did not build nests, but laid their eggs on the stones of the coastal rocks.

Flightless auks could not fly at all. And on land they moved, heavily waddling from side to side. These were the most clumsy and clumsy birds of the coastal strip, becoming easy prey for the more swift birds that lived on the islands. In case of danger, the auks could only slowly run across, taking short steps. At the same time, the waters of the ocean turned out to be a safe place for them, where they rushed, fleeing from enemies, from a height of 4 - 4.5 m.

Once in the water, wingless auks became fast and agile. And there was no trace of the slowness that was characteristic of them when they were on land. These birds could quickly dive and swim, thus covering considerable distances. Old-timers said that in such cases it was impossible to overtake the auk even in a rowboat. Short, but strong wings, which were used by the bird under water as flippers, helped the auk to swim well. Scientists suggest that auks once made long journeys on water.

Archaeologists and paleontologists claim that auks have long been known to people. Even 18 thousand years ago, people began to hunt for these coastal birds. Judging by the finds, then wingless auks inhabited many coasts of the Atlantic Ocean, starting from the coast of North America and ending with the British Isles, as well as the islands of Scandinavia and Spain. In historical times, auks were also quite widespread on Earth. They are known to have inhabited the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland, and Labrador.

The eradication of the great auk began in the spring of 1534. It was then that the ship of the famous traveler Jacques Cartier approached the shores of Funk Island. Sailors from the ship saw a lot of birds that could become easy prey for hungry sailors. Then the Europeans took out two boats from the island, fully loaded with dead birds. This was only the beginning of the story of the disappearance of the feathered species.

At the beginning of the next 17th century, the Englishman Richard Whitbourne visited Funk Island. Later, he wrote: “... Sailors drive these birds along the board into the boat at once in a hundred, as if the Lord created this miserable creature so simple-hearted that it served a person as an excellent reinforcement of his strength ...” However, judging by historical sources, it was not the Europeans who were the main culprits of death wingless auks. It became known that long before Cartier arrived at Funk Island, the population began to decline sharply. At that time, the island mentioned above was the habitat of the largest colony of auks on the planet.

The most rapid decline in the number of wingless auks occurred in the period from 1732 to 1760. Sailors of whaling and fishing vessels passing by Funk Island filled the holds with the carcasses of dead birds. After the development and settlement, the settlers of the New World needed a pen. Its source was the same wingless auks that lived on islands located near North America. At the beginning of the 19th century, not a single auk was left on Funk Island.

The last habitat waterfowl became Geyerfuglasker cliff, located off the coast of Iceland. The rocks of the cliff were high and impregnable. Many auk hunters who tried to climb the cliff often fell into the water and drowned. Such cases were not uncommon, and therefore at that time there were few people who wanted to go to the island to get birds. But at the beginning of the 19th century, American sailors were able to conquer the cliff. As a result, the number razorbill decreased even more.

And in 1830, due to geological changes, the Geyerfuglasker cliff sank to the bottom of the ocean. The birds living there were forced to move to the neighboring island of Eldy Rock. At this point, man could not miss the opportunity to take advantage of the gifts of nature. The last pair of great auks were destroyed by Icelandic sailors who hunted birds for a lucrative monetary reward in the summer of 1844.

Thus, the wingless auk, a species of birds that existed on the planet for many tens of thousands of years, disappeared. In memory of her, only 70 stuffed animals, 90 skeletons and 74 eggs remained. Two stuffed animals are kept in Russia: one is in the Academy of Sciences of St. Petersburg, and the other is in the Darwin Museum in Moscow.

Birds are the most diverse, numerous and most poorly studied group of living creatures from the point of view of paleontology. And it has to do with it. that the bones of the feathered skeleton are extremely thin and fragile, and therefore poorly preserved in the thickness of the rocks.

Flightless auks could not fly at all, reached a height of 90 cm and were completely destroyed at the end of the 19th century. The last great auk in the British Isles was killed by three fishermen because they thought it was a werewolf witch.

Let's remember how it happened...

wingless auk(lat. Pinguinus impennis) is a large flightless bird of the auk family, which became extinct in the middle of the 19th century. She was the only living member of the genus Pinguinus, which previously included the Atlantic Razorbill. The great auk bred mainly on rocky, isolated islands, which were a rarity in nature for large nesting sites. In search of food, wingless auks spent most of their time in the northern waters of the Atlantic Ocean, covering New England, part of Spain, eastern Canada, Greenland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Norway, Ireland and Great Britain.

In English, the wingless auk is called "Great Auk" - "Big Auk". The bird really was very large and weighed an average of about 5 kilograms. Flightless auks lived on uninhabited rocky islands and were very rare already in the 18th century.

As the largest member of the auk family, the great auk reached 75 to 85 cm (30 to 33 in) in length and weighed about 5 kg (11 lb). The massive hooked beak with depressions on its surface and the back of the great auk were black, while the rest of the body was white. A notable feature of the bird's plumage was the alternation of supraorbital white spots and stripes during the winter and summer periods. In summer, the bird had white spots, and in winter, wide stripes around the eyes. Despite having short, 15 cm (5.9 in) long wings, the flightless great auk was an excellent swimmer in the water and hunted successfully. The great auk fed various types fish, including American herring and capelin, as well as crustaceans. Despite the fact that the great auk swam perfectly in the water, on land it was very clumsy. The main threats to her were humans, killer whales, white-tailed eagles and polar bears.

The great auk has been known to humans for over 100,000 years. She was the most important source of food and a symbol of many Indian cultures that existed with her. Many people of ancient maritime cultures were buried with the remains of the great auk. In one such burial, more than 200 auk beaks were found, presumably decorating the cloak of an ancient man.

The last habitat of a waterfowl was the Geyerfuglasker cliff, located off the coast of Iceland. The rocks of the cliff were high and impregnable. Many auk hunters who tried to climb the cliff often fell into the water and drowned. Such cases were not uncommon, and therefore at that time there were few people who wanted to go to the island to get birds. But at the beginning of the 19th century, American sailors were able to conquer the cliff. As a result, the number razorbill decreased even more.

At first, auks were hunted for the sake of fluff, which was used to stuff pillows. At the end of the 18th century, the authorities banned the fishing of wingless auks, but the local population continued to exterminate them - many museums around the world wanted to get a stuffed animal of this rare bird.

Due to the hunting of people for a bird for its meat, fluff and use as bait, the number of wingless auks began to decline sharply by the middle of the 16th century. Realizing that the wingless auk was on the verge of extinction, scientists decided to include it in the list of protected birds, but this was not enough to save the species. The growing rarity of the bird increased the already strong interest of European museums and private collectors in obtaining stuffed animals and eggs, thus ruining the last attempt to save the great auk.

The last auk seen in the British Isles was killed by three Scots in 1844. They caught the bird and tied it up to take it back to their village. But a violent storm began, and the superstitious Scots thought that unusual bird is a werewolf who wants to sink their boat. Therefore, the auk was quickly beaten with a stick.

And the last pair of auks seen in Iceland were killed solely to sell their skins to zoological museums. By the way, now 75 stuffed Great Chistik, 75 eggs and 24 of its complete skeletons are stored in the museums of the world (two stuffed animals are kept in Russia: one is in the Academy of Sciences of St. Petersburg, and the other is in the Darwin Museum in Moscow.): these 174 birds could give life to new generations of auks. But for museum workers, a scarecrow of an endangered species turned out to be more valuable than the endangered species itself.

In 1971 the Icelandic Museum National History I bought a stuffed great auk at an auction. The acquisition cost was £9,000 and entered the Guinness Book of Records as the highest price for a stuffed bird.

The great auk (lat. Pinguinus impennis) is a large flightless bird of the auk family, which became extinct in the middle of the 19th century. It was the only modern representative of the genus Pinguinus, which previously included the Atlantic Razorbill. The great auk bred mainly on rocky, isolated islands, which were a rarity in nature for large nesting sites. In search of food, wingless auks spent most of their time in the northern waters of the Atlantic Ocean, covering New England, part of Spain, eastern Canada, Greenland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Norway, Ireland and Great Britain.
As the largest member of the auk family, the great auk reached 75 to 85 cm (30 to 33 in) in length and weighed about 5 kg (11 lb). The massive hooked beak with depressions on its surface and the back of the great auk were black, while the rest of the body was white. A notable feature of the bird's plumage was the alternation of supraorbital white spots and stripes during the winter and summer periods. In summer, the bird had white spots, and in winter, wide stripes around the eyes. Despite having short, 15 cm (5.9 in) long wings, the flightless great auk was an excellent swimmer in the water and hunted successfully. The great auk fed on a variety of fish species, including American herring and capelin, as well as crustaceans. Despite the fact that the great auk swam perfectly in the water, on land it was very clumsy. The main threats to her were humans, killer whales, white-tailed eagles and polar bears.
The great auk has been known to humans for over 100,000 years. She was the most important source of food and a symbol of many Indian cultures that existed with her. Many people of ancient maritime cultures were buried with the remains of the great auk. In one such burial, more than 200 auk beaks were found, presumably decorating the cloak of an ancient man.
Due to the hunting of people for a bird for its meat, fluff and use as bait, the number of wingless auks began to decline sharply by the middle of the 16th century. Realizing that the wingless auk was on the verge of extinction, scientists decided to include it in the list of protected birds, but this was not enough to save the species. The growing rarity of the bird increased the already strong interest of European museums and private collectors in obtaining stuffed animals and eggs, thus ruining the last attempt to save the great auk. The last sighting of a great auk occurred on July 3, 1844, in the area of the Icelandic island of Eldey, although this date remains controversial, as reports of individual sightings and even the capture of some individuals began to arrive. According to some ornithologists, the last sighting of a great auk occurred in 1852, which resulted in a single individual observed on the Great Bank of Newfoundland.
The great auk was the first of the European and American birds to be completely destroyed by man. In memory of the first loss of its continent, the journal of the American Society of Ornithologists is called The Auk ("Auk").

The last pair of flightless auks to nest were killed in 1844 on Eldi Island off the coast of Iceland. The species has been destroyed by hunters and collectors.

   Detachment - Charadriiformes
   Family - Fine
   Genus/Species - Pinguinus impennis

Basic data:
DIMENSIONS
Length: 70-80 cm.
Beak length: 7-98 mm.
Weight: about 5 kg.

BREEDING
Nesting period: most likely from May to mid-July.
Number of eggs: 1.
Hatching: about 44 days.

LIFESTYLE
Habits: kept in small flocks, during the nesting period - in large colonies.
Food: fish.
Sounds: during the display, quiet whining and wheezing.
Lifespan: no data.

RELATED SPECIES
The closest relative of the great auk was Pinguinus alfrednewtoni. Of the 22 species of auks that have survived to this day, the closest relative of the great auk is the auk (Alca torda).

The great auk was easy prey because it couldn't fly. Therefore, people for centuries massively hunted her for meat and fat. The bird was already on the verge of destruction in the 18th century, when feather and meat merchants discovered it as a wonderful "supplier" of these goods.

FOOD

The wingless auk spends most of its time in the water, so its food consisted of fish and various marine invertebrates.
Like other members of the family, under water, the wingless auk, most likely, rowed with its feet, on which there were swimming membranes, and slightly opened its wings. During spearfishing, the legs also served as a rudder, and the wingless auk rose to the surface with the help of short but very strong wings.

LIFESTYLE

The great auk was the largest member of the auk family. It reached the size of a goose and weighed about 5 times more than modern auks. In the process of development, its wings have decreased and the bird has lost the ability to fly. The wingless auk's legs were brought far to the end of the body, so it was an excellent swimmer, but it moved very clumsily on land. As a bird that does not fly, it was threatened by predators and fisheries, for which the great auk was an available source of meat. Probably, her way of life did not differ from the way of life of modern representatives of this family, for example, auks. Meat merchants began to produce these birds as early as 1590. The systematic extermination of wingless auks began at the end of the eighteenth century. Ships of meat suppliers for the Napoleonic army sailed to the Icelandic islands all the time.

BREEDING

The great auk was a rather silent bird. Only during the nesting season, when the birds were looking for mates and defending their nesting sites, did wingless auks give out loud squeaky and hoarse sounds. Great Auks nested from May to mid-July on small outlying islands, choosing rocks and cliffs off the coast. Breeding colonies of these birds were numerous and probably wingless auks shared them with other species of seabirds. The females laid one large egg, which was incubated by the female and the male. They held the egg between their legs and warmed it with thick fluff (as penguins do).
The chick hatched forty-four days after the start of incubation. The newborn chick was covered with thick down, which protected him from the cold. Both the female and the male reared the chick. When the fluff changed to feathers, the chick went to the water.

PLACE OF RESIDENCE

   The wingless auk spent most of its life at sea, mainly in the cold regions of the Atlantic.
   Large populations lived in the shallow waters of Grant Bank near the southern coast of Newfoundland and in the region of rocky islands near Iceland near its southern edge, where there were many fish. Although the bird could not fly, it led a nomadic lifestyle. Auk bones have been found south of its range: in Florida, Gibraltar and Italy.

DO YOU KNOW WHAT...

In 1971, the Icelandic Museum of Natural History paid a record £9,000 for a stuffed auk.
The names of the killers of the last pair of great auks are known - these are John Bradsson, Sigurd Ilefsson and Kstil Kentilsson.
Archaeological excavations near the places of human habitation suggest that people hunted flightless auks as early as 8,000 years ago.
In the 18th century, hunting took on a special scale. Information has been preserved that 100,000 eggs were collected per day, and the boats left the hunting grounds to the brim filled with the carcasses of dead wingless auks.

comparison of EGGS OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF AUDIO

   Great Razor Egg: light, greenish-blue with brown spots, had a significant size. The only egg, the size of a goose, was laid by the female in the period from May to July directly on a bare rock shelf.
   Razorbill egg (Alca torda): can be of various colors, most often brown, but can also be cream, turquoise or white with chocolate flecks. A single oval egg is laid by a female auk directly on a rocky ledge.
   Little auk egg (Alle alle): light, greenish-blue with light brown spots. The female lays her eggs from late May to early July in rock crevices. Compared to the small body of the female, the egg is quite large and is incubated by both birds.

- Range of the Great Razorbill
WHEN AND WHERE THE WINGLESS GAGARKA LIVED
The bird lived in the cold regions of the North Atlantic and nested on the uninhabited islands of this region, especially on Funs Island off the coast of Newfoundland. In addition, flightless auks lived off the coast of Iceland, the British Isles and Scandinavia. Most likely, they also nested on the coast of the Northern Arctic Ocean. In prehistoric times, flightless auks also lived further south. Their bones have been found in Florida and the Mediterranean region.

The last pair of flightless auks were killed by two poachers in 1844, fortunately there is still a surviving related species of auks that lives on the islands of the North Atlantic Ocean.

The names of these two people are known to everyone, we will indicate them at the end of this short but very informative article.

Appearance

The height of the bird reached from 70 to 82 cm, the beak was very massive and hooked, somewhat reminiscent of the beak of a living pelican bird, its size varied from 77 to 100 millimeters, and there were also from 7 to 12 characteristic depressions on the upper and lower jaws.

The weight of this magnificent wingless bird reached more than 5 kilograms due to the huge amount of subcutaneous fat, which served to maintain the desired body temperature.

Outwardly, this bird is very reminiscent of an ordinary penguin. The body color of females and males practically did not differ. The belly was white and the back was black. On her short paws there were three fingers, which were interconnected by a webbed thin skin.

The wings were small and could reach 15 cm, while the flywheel was no more than 10 cm. A huge white spot was inserted around her eyes, which appeared in summer period and then disappeared. The shell of both eyes was painted chestnut or hazel.

Place and habitat

This bird species preferred to inhabit the uninhabited islands of the North Atlantic. The most common regions where the prehistoric bird lived and multiplied en masse, we will list in this list:

the Fans Islands;
Iceland;
English Isles;
Scandinavia;

In those days, it could be found a little further south. Anthropologists have found their remains in Florida, Gibraltar, Italy and other areas of the Mediterranean.

Lifestyle

They settled and nested in huge colonies. It is no secret that this species was the largest and weighed an order of magnitude more than a modern animal from the auk family. Her body weight was more than the weight of a domestic goose.

In the process of evolution, the wings of the bird became small, and therefore, it lost the ability to fly.. The limbs of the great auk have been moved far to the end of the body, based on this fact; she became a flawless and fast swimmer. However, on land, she was extremely clumsy and very vulnerable to predators and poachers.

Based on reliable sources, we can say; that the ancient tribes began to consume its meat in 1590, and the systematic extermination of this species began at the end of the eighteenth century and continued until the year 44 of this century.

To the Icelandic islands, caravans from a variety of ships were drawn, which were eager to fill it to capacity with auk meat, and then sell the fishery to the Napoleonic army. Merchants and a wealthy stratum of people of that time appreciated not only the meat of the auk, but also its fluff and feathers.

Habitat

She spent most of her life in the cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Large individuals of this species tried to live as close to shallow water as possible.

The place of immediate dwelling was rocky uninhabited islands, which were located near Newfoundland near Iceland. The question may naturally arise; Why exactly these places were inhabited by extinct prehistoric birds?

The answer is more than obvious, the fact is that even in our time this territory is oversaturated with a huge amount of fish and is a fishing zone for the states described above.

Despite the fact that she did not know how to fly, however, she led a nomadic lifestyle and could change her habitat - traveling through the water from one island to another.

Food

The diet of these birds was very modest, but at the same time volume. The daily menu included:

Fish (Pacific herring);
Crustaceans;

Although the great auk on land was a clumsy, sluggish bird, it was a master in the water. Her skills to dive and swim - one could only envy.

Thanks to special membranes on her limbs, she could develop tremendous speed during spearfishing, and her short limbs also served as a rudder. Short wings helped not only to skillfully maneuver while diving, but also to get out of the water.

reproduction

By nature, they were silent birds, only in the mating season, males made hoarse and whining sounds, calling on their partner to create a pair.

The breeding season fell at the end of May and lasted until mid-July. During nesting, they gathered and nested in huge groups, there is such an opinion; that they could nest near other bird species. For nesting, they preferred to choose the steep and rocky landscapes of the island, probably so that predators could not destroy their clutches.

There was only one greenish-blue egg in the clutch, and both parents incubated it. His parents supported him between their short legs and warmed him with their thick down like a penguin.

It will take 44 days for the baby to hatch, its delicate skin was wrapped in a thick white fluff, it reliably warmed it in the harsh northern climatic conditions. The chicks were fed alternately. When feathers replaced fluff on his body, he could go down to the water and lead an independent lifestyle.

Lifespan

Currently there is no exact data. We assume that they may have lived in wild nature no more than 22 years old.

The names of the people who killed the last two auks. They were; Sigurd Elefsson and John Bradsson.
From official sources we learned; that in one day more than a hundred thousand eggs of auks were collected by poachers, and boats left the hunting grounds to the brim with the dead bodies of these now extinct birds.
Based on archaeological excavations, it can be argued that; ancient people hunted this bird - eight thousand years ago.
A stuffed auk was sold to the Icelandic Museum in 1971 for 9,000 pounds.
Starting from the 12th century, ancient tribes buried the deceased along with the bones of these birds.
Not only meat was valued by the people of that time, but also the feathers and down of this bird were actively bought up by merchants.