great auk

Short definition: The word great auk means an extinct, flightless seabird once found in the North Atlantic, known for its upright stance and strong swimming ability, driven to extinction due to overhunting by humans.

Looking for a clear and natural explanation of the term great auk? This bird is often mentioned in history books, natural science writing, and discussions about human-caused extinction. A great auk was a large, flightless seabird that once lived across the North Atlantic. It disappeared centuries ago, leaving behind an important lesson about overexploitation. Below, each meaning is explained in a calm and natural way, with long definitions and realistic examples.

Forms: great auk (singular), great auks (plural)
Related: auk n., seabird n., wildlife n.
Syllable: great auk

1. (Noun) A large, flightless seabird that once lived in the North Atlantic and is now extinct.

   A great auk was a heavy-bodied seabird that lived along rocky coastlines of the North Atlantic. It had a black back, white belly, and a large, grooved beak that made it easy to recognize. Although it could not fly, it was an excellent swimmer and used its wings to move powerfully through the water. The species disappeared in the nineteenth century after intense hunting by humans.

   Illustrations show the great auk standing upright on rocky shores near the sea.
   The great auk relied on swimming rather than flight to survive in cold northern waters.
   By the time laws were proposed, the great auk population had already collapsed.

   Synonyms: flightless auk, North Atlantic seabird, extinct seabird, large auk, marine bird, coastal seabird, historic seabird, ocean bird, swimming bird, prehistoric-feeling bird, lost seabird species, vanished bird
   Antonyms: flying bird, modern seabird, living species, airborne bird, songbird, inland bird, forest bird, freshwater bird, tree-dwelling bird, land mammal, extant wildlife, surviving species

2. (Noun) An extinct bird species driven to disappearance by overhunting and human exploitation.

   The great auk is often discussed as one of the earliest well-documented cases of human-caused extinction. People hunted it for meat, oil, feathers, and eggs over many centuries. Because it could not fly and nested in large colonies, it was easy to capture. This meaning emphasizes the role of unchecked exploitation rather than natural causes.

   Historians cite the great auk as proof that human activity can wipe out even widespread species.
   The fate of the great auk shows how vulnerable flightless birds can be.
   Overhunting pushed the great auk toward extinction surprisingly quickly.

   Synonyms: extinct species, lost wildlife, vanished seabird, eradicated animal, human-caused extinction example, historical species, conservation warning species, disappeared bird, non-living species, past wildlife, cautionary species, environmental lesson
   Antonyms: protected species, thriving wildlife, living animal, conserved species, recovering population, resilient species, extant wildlife, stable population, safeguarded animal, common species, surviving wildlife, managed species

3. (Noun) A species often used as a historical warning in conservation and environmental education.

   Beyond biology, the great auk is frequently mentioned in discussions about conservation failure. Its extinction occurred before modern environmental protections existed. As a result, it is often used to illustrate why early conservation laws were necessary. In this sense, the bird represents a lesson learned too late.

   The great auk is commonly mentioned in environmental education programs.
   Teachers use the story of the great auk to explain the dangers of overexploitation.
   Mentioning the great auk often signals a discussion about extinction prevention.

   Synonyms: conservation symbol, extinction warning, environmental lesson, historical cautionary symbol, biodiversity-loss emblem, vanished-species icon, ecological warning, conservation example, moral symbol, environmental reminder, lost-nature emblem, cautionary reference
   Antonyms: conservation success, recovery symbol, protected-species icon, biodiversity success, environmental hope symbol, thriving-wildlife image, sustainability example, preservation success, recovery emblem, hopeful symbol, positive ecological model, renewal symbol

4. (Noun) A historical reference used to describe population collapse caused by human pressure.

   In broader discussions, great auk is sometimes used as shorthand for irreversible population collapse. Writers may reference it when comparing modern environmental risks to past mistakes. The name carries weight because the extinction is well documented. In this sense, it represents the long-term cost of ignoring environmental limits.

   The article compared modern overfishing to the fate of the great auk.
   Citing the great auk immediately signals a warning about human impact.
   Economists even reference the great auk when discussing resource collapse.

   Synonyms: historical example, extinction case study, population-collapse model, exploitation symbol, environmental-history example, decline illustration, overuse warning, lost-resource symbol, human-impact example, collapse reference, unsustainable-use symbol, cautionary case
   Antonyms: sustainability model, recovery case, balanced-use example, conservation success, stable-population model, managed-resource example, resilience case, long-term survival example, preservation model, sustainability success, protected-system example, renewal symbol