The Great Auk: Its Extraordinary Life, Hideous Death and Mysterious Afterlife

In this fascinating study, Birkhead (Birds and Us), an evolutionary biology professor emeritus at the University of Sheffield, delves into the history of the great auk, a flightless seabird that went extinct in 1844. Extrapolating how the birds likely behaved based on the habits of such surviving auk species as razorbills and guillemots, Birkhead vividly recreates what their mating ritual might have looked like: “Her head feathers are raised in excitement, as are his, and holding her head downwards she opens her beak and releases a deep guttural growl.” The arrival of Portuguese sailors off the Newfoundland coast in the early 16th century spelled doom for the species, Birkhead contends, describing how great auks were subsequently slaughtered for food, harvested for their feathers, and finally pursued to extinction by specimen-hungry scientists. Elsewhere, Birkhead explores what researchers have learned from analyzing the small number of preserved great auk remains. For instance, he discusses how analysis of DNA extracted from great auk bones revealed the species hadn’t suffered a decline in genetic diversity before its demise, indicating its extinction was caused solely by humans and not environmental change. The Planet Earth–worthy descriptions bring the bird to life on the page, and the somber assessment of humanity’s central role in its disappearance serves as a warning for humans to take seriously their responsibilities toward the natural world. It’s a sobering wake-up call. Photos. (June)