The great auk

Since 1950 more than 70% 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. This book details the life, death and afterlife of one of the true icons of extinction.