FREE! Click here to Join FunTrivia. Thousands of games, quizzes, and lots more!
Quiz about The Great Auk
Quiz about The Great Auk

The Great Auk Trivia Quiz


The great auk was a bird which was hunted to extinction by the middle of the nineteenth century. Please take this quiz about the great auk. Good luck.

A multiple-choice quiz by mrgrouchy. Estimated time: 4 mins.
  1. Home
  2. »
  3. Quizzes
  4. »
  5. Animal Trivia
  6. »
  7. Wild Birds
  8. »
  9. Specific Bird Species

Author
mrgrouchy
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
311,379
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
503
Awards
Top 35% Quiz
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. Which of these present-day animals did the great auk most closely resemble? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. The great auk was called "geirfugl" by Norse sailors. To which part of the auk's body does this word refer? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. Which famous Swedish naturalist included the great auk in his eighteenth century work entitled "Systema Naturae"? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. What did great auks occasionally do during the cold winter months in the Northern Hemisphere? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. Which one of these statements about great auks is true? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. Great auks spent most of their lives at sea. However, why did they come ashore for two months every year? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. In 1794, which northern city's officials passed a law banning the killing of great auks? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. By 1830, museum curators in Europe realized that great auks were rapidly becoming extinct. What were these frantic directors particularly interested in obtaining? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. Around 1850, the last living great auk was spotted on the Grand Banks of which Canadian province? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. A stuffed great auk appears in the 1951 opera "The Rake's Progress." Which Russian composer, with the first name of Igor, composed this opera? Hint



(Optional) Create a Free FunTrivia ID to save the points you are about to earn:

arrow Select a User ID:
arrow Choose a Password:
arrow Your Email:




Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Which of these present-day animals did the great auk most closely resemble?

Answer: penguin

The great auk was a flightless bird which lived in the waters of the North Atlantic Ocean on the coasts of North America and northern Europe. Although it resembled the modern-day penguin, the two species are not related. The great auk stood about 30 inches (80 cm) tall and weighed about 11 pounds (5 kg). Its belly was white, its backside was black, and its eyes were hazel.
2. The great auk was called "geirfugl" by Norse sailors. To which part of the auk's body does this word refer?

Answer: its beak

The most distinctive feature of the great auk was its curved beak. The Icelandic word "geirfugl" ("garefowl" in English) roughly translates to "spear-billed bird." The beak had deep grooves and was perfect for eating fish. The great auk's bill was apparently razor-sharp, according to sailors' reports.
3. Which famous Swedish naturalist included the great auk in his eighteenth century work entitled "Systema Naturae"?

Answer: Linnaeus

The Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778) described the great auk in his noteworthy "Systema Naturae", published around 1740. In this landmark work of animal and plant classification, Linnaeus labeled the great auk as "Pinnguinus impennis"- a flightless, fat bird. Antony Van Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723) was a Dutch scientist who worked with microbiology. Charles Darwin (1809-1882) was a British naturalist who developed the "natural selection" theory. Rudolf Virchow (1821-1902) was a German scientist who studied diseases.
4. What did great auks occasionally do during the cold winter months in the Northern Hemisphere?

Answer: They migrated to areas of warm water.

It appears that great auks sometimes migrated to warm waters in winter months. Skeletons of the bird have been found as far south as Florida and as far east as Italy- suggesting that great auks felt more comfortable in mild temperatures than in frigid arctic water.
5. Which one of these statements about great auks is true?

Answer: They were extremely clumsy on land.

Great auks were superb swimmers and divers with very few natural predators. However, they were extremely clumsy on land. Their chubby bodies waddled along the shore, and they were unable to move very quickly. Alas, great auks did not seem to fear humans and thus became vulnerable targets for hunters.
6. Great auks spent most of their lives at sea. However, why did they come ashore for two months every year?

Answer: to lay eggs

Great auks lived approximately ten months of each year in the water, where they were relatively safe. However, in May and June of each year great auks had to come ashore to mate and then lay eggs. Both female and male auks participated in the incubation of the eggs.

After the babies were born, both parents continued to nurture the chicks for about three weeks. Human hunters often plundered the eggs and then slaughtered the parent birds in order to get their feathers.
7. In 1794, which northern city's officials passed a law banning the killing of great auks?

Answer: London

Great auks were killed in large numbers during the eighteenth century because their down feathers were highly desirable for pillows and fashion. Some English naturalists, alarmed at the rapid decrease in the great auk's population, urged London city officials to protect the birds.

In 1794, a law was enacted in which killing great auks was prohibited. However, by that time most auks had already been slaughtered.
8. By 1830, museum curators in Europe realized that great auks were rapidly becoming extinct. What were these frantic directors particularly interested in obtaining?

Answer: great auk eggs

Great auk eggs were yellowish white to light brown in color and shaped like pears. These eggs were considered extremely beautiful; thus, museum directors paid hunters large sums of money to obtain them. As great auks had virtually become extinct by 1830, curators became desperate in their efforts to secure both great auk bodies and eggs. Very few people thought about protecting the few remaining birds- a great auk was more valuable dead than alive.
9. Around 1850, the last living great auk was spotted on the Grand Banks of which Canadian province?

Answer: Newfoundland and Labrador

The location of the last living great auk has long been a subject for debate. Some scientists claim that the last living great auks were killed on Eldey Island near Iceland in 1844. However, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources officially recognizes the sighting of a great auk near the Canadian coast in 1852.

The Grand Banks of Newfoundland and Labrador are one of the richest fishing spots in the world- a perfect mix of the cold Labrador current and the warm water of the Gulf Stream current.
10. A stuffed great auk appears in the 1951 opera "The Rake's Progress." Which Russian composer, with the first name of Igor, composed this opera?

Answer: Stravinsky

Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971) composed the opera "The Rake's Progress" in 1951. One of the main characters in the play is Baba the Turk, a bearded lady in a circus. One of Baba's possessions is a great auk, presumably stuffed. Rimsky-Korsakov's first name was Nikolai; Pyotr Tchaikovsky and Modest Mussorgsky were also Russian composers.
Source: Author mrgrouchy

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor crisw before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
Related Quizzes
1. The Great Elephant Bird Tough
2. Woodpeckers Difficult
3. Pheasant Tense Average
4. Stop That Pigeon! Average
5. A Partridge in a Pair Tree Easier
6. Huffin' and Puffin Average
7. Be Cass-o-wary Average
8. A Pint of Bitterns Average
9. Six Geese A-Laying Easier
10. My Mourning Dove Cam Average
11. Do You Know Hummingbirds? Tough
12. American Crows vs Common Ravens Average

10/31/2024, Copyright 2024 FunTrivia, Inc. - Report an Error / Contact Us