- Atlantic puffin (Fratercula arctica).
The seabirds of the family Alcidae nest on the barren islands of the Arctic Sea and on the islands off the far northern coasts of North America, Europe, and Asia. In North America a few kinds nest as far south as northern California and Maine. In the winter they move southward to central California and Long Island. All members of the family live on fish and other marine life. They are expert swimmers and divers and use their short wings to help propel them underwater. Because of their life in icy waters their plumage is thick, and it is used to make clothing. The birds are clumsy on land. Their legs are set far back on the body, giving them an awkward waddle. They perch on the flat of the foot instead of on the toes, as most birds do. This gives them the odd appearance of being seated in an upright position. All have black and white plumage, odd bills, quaint crests, and other unusual characteristics. The birds breed in large colonies on rocky cliffs. They do not build nests. The female lays a single egg in a depression or crevice of the rock. Both parents take turns sitting on the egg until it is hatched. Species of Auks and MurresThe razor-billed auk breeds in the North Atlantic and winters from Canada to Long Island. It is about 161/2 inches (42 centimeters) long. The large, hooked bill, with a razor-sharp tip, is flattened sideways. Auklets are birds of the Pacific coast. They are about 9 inches (23 centimeters) long. The crested auklet has a beautiful crest of 12 to 20 slender black plumes that curve forward over the bill and a line of white feathers that curve downward and backward from each eye. The rhinoceros auklet has a horn at the base of the bill during the breeding season. Murres look like ducks, but murres may be distinguished by the short, thick neck and the pointed bill. Different species are found on both coasts. There are large rookeries of murres on the Farallon Islands of California. The murrelets are Pacific coast birds. Puffins, Guillemots, and DovekiesThe puffin, also called the sea parrot or bottlenose, is one of the world's oddest looking birds. The great triangular hooked beak, which is nearly as large as the head, is colored dull yellow at the base, grayish blue in the middle, and vermilion at the end. At each corner of the mouth is an orange circle. The face is white, with grayish blue markings around the eye that make it look like the face of a circus clown. The Atlantic puffin and the large-billed puffin are found on the East coast of North America. The tufted puffin of the West coast has a long crest of yellow feathers over each eye. - Black guillemot (Cepphus grylle).
Another member of the Alcidae family is the guillemot. The bird is all black except for a large white wing patch. The legs and inside of the mouth are bright red in color. Unlike most of the Alcidae, it lays two or three eggs. In England murres are known as guillemots. The little dovekie, or sea dove, is about 8 inches (20 centimeters) long. The Extinct Great Auk - The great auk, now extinct, is depicted in a hand-colored engraving by John James Audubon and …
Two centuries ago the great auk was found by the millions on the shores and islands of Northern Europe and North America. Today it is extinct. The last one was seen in 1844. The great auk could neither fly nor run and was easily killed with a club. Its eggs and flesh and its feathered skin were sought by humans. When the birds came to shore to nest, hunters killed them by the thousands. The great auk had a thick gooselike body about 2 feet (0.6 meter) long. The short black wings, folded against the white vest, looked like small arms. The scientific name of the razor-billed auk is Alca torda; of the great auk, Pinguinus impennis; of the murre, Uria aalge; of the dovekie (or sea dove), Alle alle; of the black guillemot, Cepphus grylle; of the Atlantic puffin, Fratercula arctica; of the tufted puffin, Lunda cirrhata; of the rhinoceros auklet, Cerorhinea monocerata; and of the marbled murrelet, Brachyramphus marmoratus. |