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Auks or alcids are birds of the family Alcidae in the order Charadriiformes. [1] The alcid family includes the murres, guillemots, auklets, puffins, and murrelets.The family contains 25 extant or recently extinct species that are divided into 11 genera.
The little auk (Europe) or dovekie (North America) Alle alle is a small auk, the only member of the genus Alle. Alle is the Sami name of the long-tailed duck ; it is onomatopoeic and imitates the call of the drake duck.
Razorbill-like birds were common in the Atlantic during the Pliocene, but the evolution of the little auk is sparsely documented. [7] The molecular data are compatible with either possibility, but the weight of evidence suggests placing the great auk in a distinct genus. [ 7 ]
It is the closest living relative of the extinct great auk (Pinguinus impennis). [4] Historically, it has also been known as "auk", [5] "razor-billed auk" [6] and "lesser auk". [7] Razorbills are primarily black with a white underside. The male and female are identical in plumage; however, males are generally larger than females.
The common murre or common guillemot (Uria aalge) is a large auk.It has a circumpolar distribution, occurring in low-Arctic and boreal waters in the North Atlantic and North Pacific.
The ancient murrelet (Synthliboramphus antiquus) is a bird in the auk family. The English term "murrelet" is a diminutive of "murre", a word of uncertain origins, but which may imitate the call of the common guillemot. [2] [3] Ancient murrelets are called "ancient" because they have grey on the back like a shawl, as worn by the elderly. [4]
The horned puffin (Fratercula corniculata) is an auk found in the North Pacific Ocean, including the coasts of Alaska, Siberia and British Columbia.It is a pelagic seabird that feeds primarily by diving for fish.
The global population exceeds 8.2 million individuals, while the North American population is estimated at 2.9 million birds. However, an accurate assessment of the number of birds is difficult, since those on the surface of the colony and in the nearby sea form only a small proportion of the variable and poorly understood population. [1]