{"id":10547,"date":"2022-01-27T07:45:15","date_gmt":"2022-01-27T06:45:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/?p=107568"},"modified":"2022-01-27T07:59:44","modified_gmt":"2022-01-27T06:59:44","slug":"guide-to-britains-auk-species","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/rss_feed\/guide-to-britains-auk-species\/","title":{"rendered":"Guide to Britain\u2019s auk species"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>

By Fergus Collins\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Thursday, 27 January 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

\n\n

Head to the coast in early spring and you may well get the sense that something is stirring; those once-quiet winter cliffs now peppered with the fidgeting bodies of returning seabirds<\/a>.<\/p>\n

After spending winter at sea, many of our seabirds return to Britain\u2019s shores to breed, making spring an excellent time to head for the coast for your first seabird sightings.<\/p>\n

One of the most charaterful seabird families is that of the auk. It\u2019s likely you will recognise the puffin<\/a> and the guillemot, but did you know they are five species of auk that regularly occur in the UK?<\/p>\n

In our guide, we take a closer look at these charismatic birds, revealing what they eat, where they make landfall and how to identify them.<\/p>\n

\""Puffins\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Atlantic puffins \u2013 one of five UK auk species \u2013 on the Isle of Lunga in Scotland\/Credit: Chris Gomersall, Alamy<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

What is an auk?<\/h2>\n

Auks \u2013 or alcids \u2013 are a type of seabird\u00a0of the family Alcidae. They are small to medium in size (15cm\u201345cm in length) with short tails and legs, small wings and an upright posture.<\/p>\n

Most auks have evolved to become expert underwater swimmers, sacrificing their agility on land and in the air \u2013 though they can still walk and fly. Large breast muscles and specially adapted wings enable them to \u2018fly\u2019 underwater in pursuit of their prey.<\/p>\n

\""Birds\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Razorbills on the clifftop at Fowlsheugh in Scotland\/Credit: Gannet77, Getty<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

What do auks eat?<\/h2>\n

Auks are pursuit divers and catch almost all of their food underwater. Diets vary from species to species but generally include fish (such as sandeels, sprats and herrings), crustaceans, and sometimes plankton.<\/p>\n

\""Seabird\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Sandeels are a vital part of a puffin\u2019s diet\/Credit: Alamy<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

How many auk species are there in the UK?<\/h2>\n

There are 23 species of auk in the world, making it a relatively small bird family. Five of these species regularly occur on UK coastlines: puffins, razorbills, guillemots, black guillemots and little auks.<\/p>\n

There are a number of other auk species that occasionally make landfall in the UK, including\u00a0Brunnich\u2019s guillemots, long-billed murrelets and ancient murrelet tufted puffins.<\/p>\n

You may also like:<\/p>\n