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Auks are birds of the family Alcidae in the order Charadriiformes. They are superficially similar to penguins due to their black-and-white colours, their upright posture and some of their habits. Nevertheless they are not related to the penguins at all, but considered by some to be a product of moderate convergent evolution. (They are sometimes humorously cited as the explanation why penguins do not exist in the Northern Hemisphere.)
In contrast to penguins, auks are able to fly (with the exception of the extinct Great Auk). They are good swimmers and divers, but their walking appears clumsy. Due to their short wings auks have to flap their wings very fast in order to fly.
Auks live on the open sea. Only for breeding do they go ashore. Most species breed at steep cliffs, often together with gulls, petrels and gannets, or amongst boulders.
Several species have different names in Europe and North America. The guillemots of Europe are murres in North America, if they occur in both continents, and the Little Auk becomes the Dovekie.
Many species, such as the Uria guillemots nest in large colonies on cliff edges, but the Cepphus guillemots breed in small groups on rocky coasts.
Species
- Order Charadriiformes
- Suborder Charadrii: The waders
- Suborder Lari. gulls, terns, skuas and skimmers
- Suborder Alcae
- Family Alcidae
- Little Auk or Dovekie, Alle alle
- Common Murre or Common Guillemot, Uria aalge
- Thick-billed Murre or Brunnich's Guillemot, Uria lomvia
- Razorbill, Alca torda
- Great Auk, Pinguinus impennis (extinct)
- Black Guillemot or Tystie, Cepphus grylle
- Pigeon Guillemot, Cepphus columba
- Spectacled Guillemot, Cepphus carbo
- Marbled Murrelet, Brachyramphus marmoratus
- Kittlitz's Murrelet, Brachyramphus brevirostris
- Xantus's Murrelet, Synthliboramphus hypoleucus
- Craveri's Murrelet, Synthliboramphus craveri
- Ancient Murrelet, Synthliboramphus antiquus
- Japanese Murrelet, Synthliboramphus wumizusume
- Cassin's Auklet, Ptychoramphus aleuticus
- Parakeet Auklet, Cyclorrhynchus psittacula
- Crested Auklet, Aethia cristatella
- Whiskered Auklet, Aethia pygmaea
- Least Auklet, Aethia pusilla
- Rhinoceros Auklet, Cerorhinca monocerata
- Atlantic Puffin, Fratercula arctica
- Horned Puffin, Fratercula corniculata
- Tufted Puffin, Fratercula cirrhata
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