New
By: Tim R Birkhead(Author)
296 pages, 8 plates with colour photos and colour illustrations; b/w photos, b/w illustrations
The tragic tale of the first seabird ruthlessly destroyed by human actions – an all-powerful symbol of human folly and the necessity of conservation.
![The Great Auk]( "The Great Auk")
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About this book
Since 1950 more than seventy percent of the world's seabirds have been lost through human activity. The Great Auk was the first species to go. A goose-sized seabird superbly adapted for underwater flight, their lives were idyllic prior to the appearance of humans: three months ashore to breed, the rest of the time riding the ocean waves.
However, Great Auks had one main predator – humans. Having harried the bird mercilessly for centuries in the east, the Europeans who stumbled upon the Great Auks' New World breeding colonies in the 16th century couldn't believe their luck. Seabird colonies became fast-food restaurants for hungry sailors, with mariners gorging themselves on the liver-flavoured auk flesh for more than two centuries.
The last two were killed in 1844, but the Great Auk lived on, with collectors obsessing over their skins, eggs and skeletons through dodgy dealings involving staggering amounts of money. In a curious twist of fate, leading ornithologist Tim Birkhead found himself the recipient of the archive of a man who accumulated more Great Auk skins and eggs than anyone else.
This astonishing book reveals the Great Auk's life before humanity, its death on that fateful day in 1844, and the unrelenting subsequent quest for its remains.
Customer Reviews
Biography
Tim Birkhead FRS is an award-winning biologist, writer and emeritus Professor of Behaviour and Evolution at the University of Sheffield. His professional interests span ornithology, evolution and reproductive biology. He is known for his work on both the mating systems of birds and the history of ornithology. Tim has written or edited 15 books, including four popular science titles published by Bloomsbury: The Wisdom of Birds, Bird Sense, The Most Perfect Thing, and The Wonderful Mr Willughby.
New
By: Tim R Birkhead(Author)
296 pages, 8 plates with colour photos and colour illustrations; b/w photos, b/w illustrations
The tragic tale of the first seabird ruthlessly destroyed by human actions – an all-powerful symbol of human folly and the necessity of conservation.
"Mesmerising [...] There's something endlessly pleasurable in listening to a person talk about a subject on which they're both an enthusiast and an authority, and Tim Birkhead has both qualities in abundance."
– The Telegraph
"The story of the Great Auk reveals how the attitudes and values of people cause entire species to be condemned to extinction. From the fragments of written historical accounts and the eggs and skins collected as the species teetered at the edge of oblivion, Birkhead expertly charts the demise and afterlife of a bird that while to this day is often discussed will never again be seen alive. This is the brilliantly told true story of a legend."
– Tony Juniper
"Weaves a fascinating 20,000-year history of encounters with these intriguing birds into a deeper narrative exploring the tragedy of how human wonder and passion can mutate into destructive obsession."
– Rebecca Wragg Sykes, author of Kindred
"What a story! I was completely gripped by both the biology and the very human tale and Tim Birkhead's perseverance in following it, not to mention his eloquence in telling it."
– Matt Ridley, author of The Red Queen
"The many strands that are the mark of the author, Tim Birkhead, are drawn together to tell the story of the Great Auk that is both expert and fascinating [...] A lifetime of experience and deep passion are woven into the pages of this book, and we are left with the message that all of us have a duty to make sure that this tragedy must not happen again."
– Mary Colwell, author of Curlew Moon
"A comprehensive and beautifully written account of this extinct bird."
– Errol Fuller, author of Lost Animals
