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You are here: Home / Animals / What are Auks, Where Do Auks Come From, And How Are Auks Different From Penguins?

What are Auks, Where Do Auks Come From, And How Are Auks Different From Penguins?

February 6, 2020 by Karen Hill

Auks are birds that are superficially similar to penguins because of their black-and-white colors and their upright posture.

Where Do Auks Come From

However, auks are not closely related to penguins, appear to have evolved similar traits separately.

Modern auks are able to fly, unlike penguins, and are good swimmers and divers, but clumsy when walking on land.

Auks love to eat small fish and krill, and can be found on coastal waters in Europe and North America.

The great auks are extinct, but twenty-two other species of auks still exist on earth.

Like penguins, their colors tend toward black and white, and they swim with their wings while steering with their feet.

Unlike the penguins, they live exclusively in the Arctic and can fly.

Notable auks include the puffins, murres, dovekies, and guillemots.

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Filed Under: Animals

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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