Great Auk
Pinguinus impennis (Linnaeus, 1758)
6370
Family: Charadriiformes > Alcidae
The Great Auk was hunted to extinction for its meat and large eggs.
The last known British Great Auk was killed on St Kilda in the 1840s, a decade after the last Irish Great Auk had died in captivity, having been captured in Waterford Harbour in May 1834.
The name 'penguin' was used as early as the 16th century in association with the Great Auk, and may have its roots in the Welsh language, but was later transferred to the unrelated, but similarly evolved, birds of the southern oceans.
Identification
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Population size and trends and patterns of distribution based on BTO surveys and atlases with data collected by BTO volunteers.
CONSERVATION STATUS
This species can be found on the following statutory and conservation listings and schedules.
| IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (global) |
Extinct 
|
| Schedule 1 license required (to disturb) | No |
| Birds Directive Annex 1 | No |
POPULATION SIZE
We have no population estimates for this scarce species.
| BOU Category | B |
|
First Record
|
1652 |
Movement
Information about movement and migration based on online bird portals (e.g. BirdTrack), Ringing schemes and tracking studies.
RINGING RECOVERIES
View a summary of recoveries in the Online Ringing Report.
Biology
Lifecycle and body size information about Great Auk, including statistics on nesting, eggs and lifespan based on BTO ringing and nest recording data.
PRODUCTIVITY & NESTING
Sample sizes are too small to report Productivity and Nesting statistics for this species.
CODES & CLASSIFICATION
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Field Codes
|
5-letter code: | Euring: 6370 |
For information in another language (where available) click on a linked name
Links to more studies from ConservationEvidence.com
- How to prioritize rat management for the benefit of petrels: a case study of the UK, Channel Islands and Isle of Man
- Restoration of island populations of black oystercatchers and pigeon guillemots by removing introducing foxes
- A nest box for ancient murrelets
Read more studies about Great Auk on Conservation Evidence >
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