Auks are birds which belong to the Alcidae family. Auks are also known as auks. The Alcidae family includes murres, puffins, guillemot, auklet, and Dovekie. Auks are birds which look like penguins for multiple reasons; their black and white exterior, the way that they stand, and the environment that they live in. However, auks are not related to penguins. Additionally, male and female auks look similar in appearance, which is referred to as monomorphic.
Auks have the ability to fly. However, since their wings are small, they need to flap them very quickly in order to actually take flight. Auks mostly swim, as their wings are much better suited for diving and moving around in the water. Their wings just reach the minimum requirement to be able to take flight, which is another reason why they prefer to swim rather than fly or walk on land; some auks find it difficult to properly move around on land.
Breeding
Auks spend most of their life in the sea and only go on land when they are going to breed. Once they have mated, they will spend a lot of time making sure that their nesting area is safe and protected against any threats.
Auks nest in seaside cliffs in large colonies, as this increases their safety. Once it’s time to breed, the male and female choose a cliff ledge on which to start building their nest. They start building their nest in a crevice or indent in the cliffside using pebbles, feathers, and shells that they find.
Once auks mate, they will likely spend the rest of their lives with those partners as they are monogamous. auks normally lay just one egg and always return to the same nesting area every year. The habit of returning to the same area is referred to as philopatric. After the egg has been laid, both parents incubate it until it hatches. It takes around one month for the egg to hatch and, after another month, it will have grown enough to be able to fly and fish with its parents.
Habitat
Auks live both in and above the sea and, as mentioned before, only return to land when it’s time to breed. They reside in the northern Atlantic Ocean but their habitat’s location will vary depending on the different species.
Diet
Since auks are seabirds, they mostly feed on fish and other marine life. Their diet includes fish, shrimp, squid, and other crustaceans. The only seabird competition which the auks must contend with in their habitat are the cormorants, which are also great divers. Due to this competition, Auks tend to feed farther away from shore and into the ocean.
It has been recorded that auks can dive up to 100m deep when they are hunting for their food. They will likely go after schools of fish, one of the easiest ways to catch fish as they will be in large groups.
