Great auk

The great auk (*Pinguinus impennis*) was an extinct flightless seabird of the North Atlantic and the only modern species in the genus *Pinguinus*.

The great auk (*Pinguinus impennis*) was an extinct flightless seabird of the North Atlantic and the only modern species in the genus *Pinguinus*. It was heavily hunted for meat, feathers, fat, and oil, and the species disappeared in the mid-19th century. The last known breeding pair was killed in Iceland in 1844, though some sources record a final sighting in 1852.

Taxonomy and naming

The great auk was a flightless alcid in the family Alcidae and the only modern species in the genus *Pinguinus*. It was also historically called the penguin or garefowl, and its resemblance to later-discovered penguins influenced the modern use of the name "penguin". Despite its common name, it is unrelated to Southern Hemisphere penguins.

Description and ecology

Great auks were large black-and-white seabirds with short wings, making them incapable of flight but effective swimmers and divers. They lived mostly at sea and came ashore to breed in dense colonies on isolated rocky islands.

Distribution and habitat

The species was native to the North Atlantic, with breeding sites recorded in areas such as Iceland, Newfoundland and Labrador, the Faroe Islands, and St. Kilda. Subfossil remains also show a wider historical range farther south in parts of Europe and North America.

Extinction

The great auk declined because of intensive hunting for meat, feathers, eggs, fat, oil, and later specimen collecting. The last known breeding birds were killed at Eldey Island in 1844, and the species is generally regarded as extinct by the mid-19th century.