Little Auk

arctic · seabird · ocean · incredible migration

Smallest auk species. Little auks are teeny seabirds that weigh about as much as a smartphone. They're built tough for life in the super-cold Arctic Ocean.

Breed in colonies. These birds gather in enormous groups on frozen islands in the far north, like Greenland and Svalbard, to raise their chicks together for safety and warmth.

Arctic ocean wanderers. When winter arrives, little auks scatter across thousands of miles of frozen seas, following the edge of pack ice where they find food and open water.

Ancient Greenland home. Most little auks live in Greenland, Novaya Zemlya, and Svalbard, though a tiny population lives on islands in the Bering Strait near Alaska.

Winter travelers. In winter, some brave little auks swim all the way south to the coasts of Great Britain and Nova Scotia, searching for fish and krill in less icy waters.