Great Auk
Pinguinus impennis
Summary 2
The Great Auk, Pinguinus impennis, formerly of the genus Alca, is a bird that became extinct in the mid-19th century. It was the only species in the genus Pinguinus - a group of birds that included several flightless giant auks from the Atlantic Ocean region - to survive until modern times. The Great Auk was also known as a garefowl (from the Old Norse geirfugl, meaning "spear-bird", referring to the shape of its beak) and penguin...
Sources and Credits
- (c) Via Tsuji, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), http://www.flickr.com/photos/53881030@N00/143131163
- (c) Jeff Holmes, all rights reserved
