Little auk facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Little auk |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Alle
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| Species: |
alle
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| Global map of eBird reports Year-round range Summer range Winter range | |
| Synonyms | |
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Alca alle Linnaeus, 1758 |
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The little auk or dovekie (Alle alle) is a small auk, a type of seabird. It is the only member of its genus called Alle. The name Alle comes from the Sami languages and sounds like the call of a long-tailed duck. This is because Carl Linnaeus, who named many animals, might have confused the little auk with the long-tailed duck in winter. Other names for this bird include rotch and sea dove.
Little auks live and breed on islands in the far north, in the Arctic. There are two main types, or subspecies. One type, A. a. alle, breeds in places like Greenland, Novaya Zemlya, and Svalbard. The other type, A. a. polaris, breeds on Franz Josef Land. A few little auks also breed on islands in the Bering Strait near Alaska.
Contents
Appearance and Behavior
The little auk is the smallest auk in the Atlantic Ocean. It is about half the size of an Atlantic puffin. These birds are about 19 to 21 centimeters (7.5 to 8.3 inches) long. Their wingspan is about 34 to 38 centimeters (13 to 15 inches). They weigh between 133 and 204 grams (4.7 to 7.2 ounces).
Adult little auks have black heads, necks, backs, and wings. Their undersides are white. They have a very short, thick bill and a small, round black tail. In winter, the lower part of their face and the front of their neck turn white.
Little auks fly very fast. Their short wings beat quickly, making a whirring sound. Like other auks, they find food by swimming underwater. They mostly eat tiny crustaceans, especially small creatures called copepods. A little auk needs to eat about 60,000 copepods each day! They can also eat small invertebrates and tiny fish. Scientists believe they catch food by sucking it in, not by filtering it. When they are nesting, they feed closer to the shore. When they are not nesting, they look for food in the open ocean.
When little auks are in their breeding colonies, they make many chirping and cackling sounds. But when they are out at sea, they are usually quiet.
Life in the Wild
Little auks nest in huge groups on tall cliffs by the sea. They make their nests in cracks in the rocks or under large stones. Usually, they lay only one egg. In winter, they fly south to warmer parts of the northern Atlantic Ocean. Sometimes, strong storms in late autumn can carry them even further south than usual, or into the North Sea. They are also often found in the Norwegian Sea.
The main animals that hunt little auks are the glaucous gull and the Arctic fox. Sometimes, even polar bears have been seen eating little auk eggs.
Protecting Little Auks
Even though the number of little auks seems to be going down, scientists do not think it is happening fast enough to be a big worry right now. The total number of little auks in the world can change a lot. Little auks are good at finding food even when there isn't much available. This makes it harder for scientists to know exactly how many there are and how well they are doing.
Little Auks as Food
In some parts of the world, little auks have been used as food.
One traditional Inuit dish from Greenland is called Kiviaq. It is made by stuffing a seal skin with 300 to 500 little auks. The skin is then sealed tightly with seal fat. The little auks are left to ferment for 3 to 18 months under a pile of rocks. Little auks caught in the spring provide food for people in the winter.
On the south coast of Newfoundland, Canada, little auks were known as "Bull(y) Birds" or "Ice Birds." People would stuff them with savory dressing and bake them. Before Canada joined Confederation in 1949, these birds were sometimes the last food available to prevent people from starving in the winter. People would hunt them with BB pellets on ice floes off the coast. A meal might consist of 5 to 6 birds per person. They were hunted as long as the ice was nearby. Their meat is dark and lean.
Images for kids
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Little auk in winter plumage
See also
