Stóraukins

Stóraukins, the Icelandic name for the great auk, refers to a large, flightless seabird that once lived along the North Atlantic. Its scientific name is Pinguinus impennis, and it was the only member of its genus.

Adults stood about 70–75 cm tall and weighed roughly 3–5 kg. They had black upperparts, white underparts, and a stout bill. Their wings were small and useless for flight, but they were strong divers.

Stóraukins bred in dense colonies on remote islands and rocky shores, including areas around Iceland, Greenland, and parts of eastern Canada and western Europe. They laid a single egg on bare rock or sparse vegetation.

Diet consisted mainly of fish and other marine creatures captured while swimming. They were social birds, forming large breeding colonies.

The species declined in the 18th and 19th centuries due to hunting for meat, eggs, and especially down. Habitat disturbance and collection also played a role. The last widely accepted record dates to 1844 on Eldey Island, off Iceland.

Today, stóraukins is a well-documented example of human-driven extinction. Museums preserve many skins, skeletons, and eggs, which support research on avian evolution, island biogeography, and conservation.