Auks, Murres, and Puffins (Alcidae)

 

The Alcidae includes the murres, guillemots, auklets, puffins, and murrelets; 11 genera and 24 extant species (the flightless Great Auk is extinct). The family is confined to the northern parts of the Northern Hemisphere, the coasts and continental shelf waters of the Arctic, North Atlantic, and North Pacific. Auks spend most of their life at sea, coming ashore only for breeding. The alcids are wing-propelled pursuit divers, with short wings and tail, webbed feet, a large head, heavy body, and thick compact plumage (predominantly black-and-white, though brown in some species). The bill shape is variable. Auks feed on schooling fish, krill, small squid, and other marine invertebrates, diving as deep as 30-100 m. The majority of species nest in large colonies on cliff ledges or in burrows. Clutch consists of only one egg, rarely two. Incubation lasts 30-45 days. The young usually leave the nest 2-3 weeks after hatching.

 

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