Great auk (Pinguinus impennis)

French:	Grand Pingouin

Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Aves
Order	Charadriiformes
Family	Alcidae
Genus	Pinguinus (1)

Top facts

• The great auk was once found across the North Atlantic but is now extinct.
• Known as the penguin of the north, the great auk was the only flightless auk.
• The great auk was heavily hunted in the mid 1800s, with feathers, meat, fat and oil in high demand.
• The great auk was finally driven to extinction by collectors wanting increasingly precious specimens.

Classified as Extinct (EX) on the IUCN Red List (1).

Information on the great auk is currently being researched and written and will appear here shortly.

This information is awaiting authentication by a species expert, and will be updated as soon as possible. If you are able to help please contact:
arkive@wildscreen.org.uk

1. IUCN Red List (September, 2009)
   http://www.iucnredlist.org