Little auk

Lore & Background

The little auk was formally described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758, who placed it in the genus Alca and gave it the binomial name Alca alle. Linnaeus derived the species name from the Sami word for the long-tailed duck, apparently confusing the two species' winter plumages. The species was later moved to the genus Alle, introduced in 1806 by Heinrich Friedrich Link, and is now the sole member of that genus.

Little auks breed in enormous colonies on scree slopes of marine cliffs, nesting in crevices or under rocks. They lay a single pale greenish-blue egg, incubated by both parents for about a month. Chicks fledge at 26–29 days old, usually at night and synchronously with others in the colony. The birds feed mainly on crustaceans, especially copepods, and use visually-guided suction-feeding rather than filter-feeding.

In winter, little auks migrate south into the North Atlantic, often near pack ice edges. They are preyed upon by glaucous gulls, Arctic foxes, and occasionally polar bears. The species has been a traditional food source for Inuit in Greenland, Baffin Island, and Labrador, and is used to make kiviaq, a fermented dish. In Newfoundland, they are known as bull(y) birds or ice birds and were historically hunted as a food of last resort.

Reader's Guide

The little auk is ecologically significant as one of the most abundant seabirds in the high Arctic, forming massive breeding colonies that influence local nutrient cycles and serve as prey for predators such as glaucous gulls and Arctic foxes. Its reliance on copepods and other crustaceans makes it a key indicator of marine ecosystem health in polar regions. The species has shown behavioral plasticity in foraging, allowing it to buffer against climate-driven changes in prey availability, though long-term impacts remain uncertain.

Culturally, the little auk has been vital to Inuit subsistence, particularly in Greenland, where it is used to prepare kiviaq—a fermented dish that has been linked to the death of explorer Knud Rasmussen. In Newfoundland, it was historically hunted by outport communities as a winter food source. The species' taxonomy reflects historical confusion with the long-tailed duck, and its two subspecies show slight size differences. Despite population declines, the little auk is not currently considered threatened, though its dependence on Arctic ice edges makes it vulnerable to ongoing environmental changes.

Did You Know?

• The little auk is the only member of the genus Alle.
• A 150 g little auk requires about 60,000 copepods per day.
• The species was formerly placed in the genus Plautus, but that name was suppressed in 1973.
• Kiviaq, an Inuit food, is made by fermenting 300 to 500 little auks inside a seal skin for 3 to 18 months.