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Family

Alcidae

25 species

The list of species of Alcidae family

An auk or alcid is a bird of the family Alcidae in the order Charadriiformes. The alcid family includes the murres, guillemots, auklets, puffins, and murrelets. The word "auk" is derived from Icelandic álka, from Old Norse alka (auk), from Proto-Germanic *alkǭ (sea-bird, auk).

Apart from the extinct great auk, all auks can fly, and are excellent swimmers (appearing to "fly") and divers, but their walking appears clumsy.

Several species have different English names in Europe and North America. The two species known as murres in North America are called guillemots in Europe, and the species called little auk in Europe is referred to as dovekie in North America.

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The list of species of Alcidae family

Apart from the extinct great auk, all auks can fly, and are excellent swimmers (appearing to "fly") and divers, but their walking appears clumsy.

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Atlantic Puffin

Fratercula arctica

The Atlantic puffin (Fratercula arctica) is a colorful seabird that belongs to the auk family. It is the only puffin native to the Atlantic Ocean. Although it has a large population and a wide range, the species has declined rapidly, at least in...

Little Auk

Alle alle

Little auks (Alle alle) are small seabirds that live on islands in the high Arctic. They can fly and are excellent swimmers (appearing to "fly") and divers, but their walking appears clumsy.

Common Murre

Uria aalge

The Common murre (Uria aalge) is a large auk that has a circumpolar distribution. These birds are excellent swimmers and divers (appearing to "fly" in water), but clumsy on land. They are not very agile flyers but are more maneuverable underwater....

Razorbill

Alca torda

The razorbill (Alca torda) is a colonial seabird and the only extant member of the genus Alca of the family Alcidae, the auks. It is the closest living relative of the extinct Great auk. In 1918, the razorbill was protected in the United States by...

Tufted Puffin

Fratercula cirrhata

Tufted puffins (Fratercula cirrhata) are colorful seabirds, also known as “parrots of the sea” that spend winters in the open ocean and return to shore only to breed. They are found throughout the North Pacific Ocean and are easily recognizable by...

Horned Puffin

Fratercula corniculata

The horned puffin (Fratercula corniculata ) is an auk found in the North Pacific Ocean, including the coasts of Alaska, Siberia and British Columbia. It is a pelagic seabird that feeds primarily by diving for fish. It nests in colonies, often with...

Great Auk

Pinguinus impennis

The great auk (Pinguinus impennis ) is a species of flightless alcid that became extinct in the mid-19th century. It was the only modern species in the genus Pinguinus. It is not closely related to the birds now known as penguins, which were...

Thick-billed murre

Uria lomvia

The thick-billed murre or Brünnich's guillemot (Uria lomvia ) is a bird in the auk family (Alcidae). This bird is named after the Danish zoologist Morten Thrane Brünnich. The very deeply black North Pacific subspecies Uria lomvia arra is also called...

Black guillemot

Cepphus grylle

The black guillemot or tystie (Cepphus grylle ) is a medium-sized seabird of the alcid family, Alcidae, native throughout northern Atlantic coasts and eastern North American coasts. It is resident in much of its range, but large populations from the...

Marbled murrelet

Brachyramphus marmoratus

The marbled murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus ) is a small seabird from the North Pacific. It is a member of the auk family. It nests in old-growth forests or on the ground at higher latitudes where trees cannot grow. Its habit of nesting in trees...

Rhinoceros auklet

Cerorhinca monocerata

The rhinoceros auklet (Cerorhinca monocerata ) is a seabird and a close relative of the puffins. It is the only extant species of the genus Cerorhinca. Given its close relationship with the puffins, the common name rhinoceros puffin has been...

Ancient murrelet

Synthliboramphus antiquus

The ancient murrelet (Synthliboramphus antiquus ) is a bird in the auk family. The genus name Synthliboramphus is from Ancient Greek sunthlibo, "to compress", and rhamphos, "bill", and antiquus is Latin for ancient. The English term "murrelet" is a...

Pigeon guillemot

Cepphus columba

The pigeon guillemot (Cepphus columba ) is a species of bird in the auk family, Alcidae. One of three species in the genus Cepphus, it is most closely related to the spectacled guillemot. There are five subspecies of the pigeon guillemot; all...

Crested auklet

Aethia cristatella

The crested auklet (Aethia cristatella ) is a small seabird of the family Alcidae, distributed throughout the northern Pacific and the Bering Sea. The species feeds by diving in deep waters, eating krill and a variety of small marine animals. It...

Long-billed murrelet

Brachyramphus perdix

The long-billed murrelet (Brachyramphus perdix ) is a small seabird from the North Pacific. The genus name Brachyramphus is from Ancient Greek brakhus, "short", and rhamphos, "bill". The species name perdix is Latin for "partridge" Pallas described...

Least auklet

Aethia pusilla

The least auklet (Aethia pusilla ) is a seabird and the smallest species of auk. It is the most abundant seabird in North America, and one of the most abundant in the world, with a population of around nine million birds. They breed on the islands...

Parakeet auklet

Aethia psittacula

The parakeet auklet (Aethia psittacula ) is a small seabird of the North Pacific. Parakeet Auklets used to be placed on its own in the genus Cyclorrhynchus (Kaup, 1829) but recent morphological and genetic evidence suggest it should be placed in the...

Cassin's auklet

Ptychoramphus aleuticus

Cassin's auklet (Ptychoramphus aleuticus ) is a small, chunky seabird that ranges widely in the North Pacific. It nests in small burrows and because of its presence on well studied islands in British Columbia and off California it is one of the...

Scripps's murrelet

Synthliboramphus scrippsi

Scripps's murrelet (Synthliboramphus scrippsi ) is a small seabird found in the California Current system in the Pacific Ocean. This auk breeds on islands off California and Mexico. It is threatened by predators introduced to its breeding colonies...

Whiskered auklet

Aethia pygmaea

The whiskered auklet (Aethia pygmaea ) is a small seabird of the auk family. It has a more restricted range than other members of its genus, Aethia, living only around the Aleutian Islands and on some islands off Siberia (like Commander Islands),...

Guadalupe murrelet

Synthliboramphus hypoleucus

The Guadalupe murrelet (Synthliboramphus hypoleucus ) is a small seabird found in the California Current system in the Pacific Ocean. This auk breeds on islands off California and Mexico. It is threatened by predators introduced to its breeding...

Japanese murrelet

Synthliboramphus wumizusume

The Japanese murrelet or crested murrelet (Synthliboramphus wumizusume ) is a small seabird in the auk family that occurs along the remote rocky coasts and in the offshore waters of Japan, and may also be found after the breeding season as far as...

Spectacled guillemot

Cepphus carbo

The spectacled guillemot or sooty guillemot (Cepphus carbo ) is a seabird in the auk family.

Kittlitz's murrelet

Brachyramphus brevirostris

Kittlitz's murrelet (Brachyramphus brevirostris ) is a small alcid found in the waters off Alaska and Eastern Siberia. This near threatened species is, like the closely related marbled murrelet, unusual for seabirds in not being colonial, nesting...

Craveri's murrelet

Synthliboramphus craveri

Craveri's murrelet (Synthliboramphus craveri ) is a small seabird which breeds on offshore islands in both the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of California off the Baja peninsula of Mexico. It also wanders fairly regularly as far as central California...