The little auk is a small oceanic predatory bird that makes its home in the Arctic, the Bering Sea, Iceland, Greenland, northern Russia, Canada, and the United States. They are a migratory bird that travels south for the winter. There are only 2 known species of auks: the lesser and the little. There was a third species, called the great auk, but they went extinct in 1844. This was due to over-hunting. As a results of their numbers, these little critters are listed as Least Concern by the IUCN.
First the Stats…
Scientific name: Alle alle
Weight: Up to 5.8 ounces
Length: Up to 9.1 inches
Wingspan: Up to 15 inches
Lifespan: Up to 25 years
Now on to the Facts!
1.) These are diving birds that propel themselves, underwater, with their wings; rather than their feet.
2.) They can dive up to 90 feet. When they dive for prey, they intentionally go underneath fish and zig-zag their way back up and catch the fish from underneath.
3.) Little auks congregate in large colonies, while foraging.
4.) Polar bears, ravens, crows, gulls, and falcons all prey on little auks.
5.) The little auk is monogamous (mates for life).
But wait, there’s more on the little auk!
6.) Both parents return to their same nest each year and raise their young together.
7.) They prey on fish, shrimp, squid, and copepods.
Did you know…?
Little auks can fly up to 44 mph! Not bad for a wee little critter.
8.) Adult little auks have large pouches, under their beak, that they use to store food for their chicks.
9.) On land they make a series of twitters and cackling calls. But they are silent at sea.
10.) Females lay a single egg each season and both parents take turns incubating while the other parent hunts.
But wait, there’s still more on the little auk!
11.) There is an Inuit dish from Greenland called kiviaq. This involves stuffing a seal carcass with 300 – 500 little auks, sealing the carcass with fat and then fermenting them all under a pile of rocks for up to 18 months. Yummy.
12.) Knud Johan Victor Rasmussen, a Greenlandic–Danish polar explorer and anthropologist, reportedly died of food poisoning by eating kiviaq. Well, yeah, duh!
13.) The little auk is diurnal (active during the day).
Now a Short Little Auk Video!
Also, check out the Critter Science YouTube channel. Videos added frequently!
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