The Great Auk Trivia Quiz

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.