The Great Auk

Great Auks were large, flightless seabirds that lived across the North Atlantic. They were excellent swimmers and used their small wings to “fly” underwater in search of fish. On land, however, they were slow and awkward, which made them easy targets for hunters.

Great Auks had some natural predators, including polar bears at nesting colonies, but they had no natural fear of humans. For centuries, people killed them for meat, feathers, fat and oil. Sailors also collected their eggs. As the birds became rare, museums and private collectors wanted their skins and eggs, which put even more pressure on the last survivors.

Because Great Auks could not fly and gathered in breeding colonies, hunters were able to kill huge numbers quickly. The last confirmed pair were killed on Eldey, off Iceland, in June 1844. They were found with an egg, which was broken during the chase.

A few years earlier, in 1840, the last known Great Auk in Britain was killed on St Kilda. Some people believed the bird was a witch and blamed it for bad weather. Sadly, the real danger was not magic, but humans.

On Infinity, the Great Auk fears humans more than almost any other creature.