Definitions for great auk
great auk

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1. great auk, Pinguinus impennis(noun)

   large flightless auk of rocky islands off northern Atlantic coasts; extinct

Wiktionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. great auk(Noun)

   A large auk, Pinguinus impennis.

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1. Great Auk

   The Great Auk was a large, flightless bird of the alcid family that became extinct in the mid-19th century. It was the only modern species in the genus Pinguinus, a group of birds that formerly included one other species of flightless giant auk from the Atlantic Ocean region. It bred on rocky, isolated islands with easy access to the ocean and a plentiful food supply, a rarity in nature that provided only a few breeding sites for the auks. When not breeding, the auks spent their time foraging in the waters of the North Atlantic, ranging as far south as northern Spain through Canada, Greenland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Norway, Ireland, and Great Britain. The Great Auk was 75 to 85 centimetres tall and weighed around 5 kilograms, making it the largest member of the alcid family. It had a black back and a white belly. The black beak was heavy and hooked with grooves on its surface. During summer, the Great Auk had a white patch over each eye. During winter, the auk lost these patches, instead developing a white band stretching between the eyes. The wings were only 15 centimetres long, rendering the bird flightless. Instead, the auk was a powerful swimmer, a trait that it used in hunting. Its favourite prey were fish, including Atlantic Menhaden and Capelin, and crustaceans. Although agile in the water, it was clumsy on land. Great Auk pairs mated for life. They nested in extremely dense and social colonies, laying one egg on bare rock. The egg was white with variable brown streaking. Both parents incubated for about six weeks before their young hatched. The young auks left the nest site after two or three weeks and the parents continued to care for them.

How to pronounce great auk?

1. 

   Alex

   US English

   

   Daniel

   British

   

   Karen

   Australian

   

   Veena

   Indian

How to say great auk in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of great auk in Chaldean Numerology is: 6

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of great auk in Pythagorean Numerology is: 3

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