#alcid

Pinguinus impennis

7-layer reduction relief print for Patreon members; June 2025

The Great Auk, Pinguinus impennis, was a large species of flightless alcid that resided in the Northern Atlantic region. The species was also known as the garefowl or penguin, and was the only modern member of the genus Pinguinus. However, they were unrelated to the penguins of the southern hemisphere, who were in fact named for their resemblance to the Great Auk.

Great Auks could be up to 33 inches tall and weighed about 11 pounds, making them the largest alcid to survive into the modern era. However, their wings were only 6 inches long, rendering them flightless. They were agile in water, but clumsy on land, making them well built for hunting fish and crustaceans but susceptible to land predators. They nested in crowded colonies on remote, rocky islands, where they mated for life and laid one egg per breeding attempt.

Great Auks were an important part of Native American culture, both as a food and clothing source and as a symbolic item. Early European explorers to America used them as a source of food and fishing bait, rapidly reducing numbers. The European population of Great Auks was largely eliminated by the mid-16th century due to high demand of their down to use in pillows.

Puffin Passover

Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula arctica), family Alcidae, Wales, UK

Thick-billed Murres at Alaska Maritime NWR

During the colder months, these seabirds travel up to 600 miles from their dense cliffside colonies to icy open ocean waters all the way up to the Arctic. Some remain through winter as far north as open water allows, including around openings in pack ice. photograph by Art Sowls | USFWS