summer

summer winter European distribution

Identification

Little Auks should be easily identified since they are only about the size of a Starling and they are so short and fat they seem to have no neck and no bill. Indeed they are so barrel-shaped that in flight they've been described as 'flying cotton-bobbins'. In Britain they occur in winter plumage, white from bill to tail and black above. The black extends over the eye making a black eye-mask and there are curious white 'scratch marks' on its back.

Habitat

Winters at sea but may get blown inshore in bad weather.

Migration

Both migratory and dispersive. Some winter as far north as the pack ice but others are seen regularly around Britain during October-December.

This information is taken from the BirdFile on the appropriate BirdGuides DVD-ROM. As well as video and sounds, our CD- and DVD-ROMs contain additional text on Voice, Sexing, Ageing, Food, Nests and Eggs and more.

For the purposes of our bird news services, Little Auk is classed as Local: generally fairly regular or common species that a 'county lister' or a birding beginner might be interested in going to see. (Note that rarity levels are currently applied nationally and may not reflect local variations in abundance.)

Berry Head, Devon 02/12/2009	Berry Head, Devon 02/12/2009	Rumps Point, Cornwall 29/11/2009	Gunton, Suffolk 07/11/2009	Rumps Point, Cornwall 08/11/2009
Rumps Point, Cornwall 08/11/2009	Gunton, Suffolk 07/11/2009	Gunton, Suffolk 07/11/2009	Rumps Point, Cornwall 05/11/2009	Rumps Point, Cornwall 05/11/2009

 View all pictures of Little Auk

Bird News Extra subscribers can view a list of top sites for this species. To check prices, find out more, or to subscribe, click here.

Little Auk breeds in the following countries (Bird News Extra subscribers will see population statistics and information on trends for each country):

Greenland
Iceland
Russia
Svalbard

http://www.avibirds.com/euhtml/Little_Auk.html   Avibirds: Little Auk	Edit this link
	Broken link
http://blx1.bto.org/birdfacts/results/bob6470.htm   BTO BirdFacts: Little Auk	Edit this link
	Broken link
Recommend a new link

BirdGuides Ltd are not responsible for the content of external sites. If you find a broken link, please click the appropriate "Broken link" link above`.

	8th-14th November	Thursday 15th November 2007
	All eyes seemed to be on the sea, as a rapidly deepening low-pressure system brought bad weather, Little Auks, White-billed Divers and a Brünnich's Guillemot.
	Exceptional Displacement of Little Auks into the North Sea	Tuesday 13th November 2001

 BirdGuides webzine