Emu and Ostrich

We've just seen two contemporary large birds that cannot fly: the emu and the ostrich. Over here is an interesting specimen from the past. This stuffed animal is not the giant penguin it appears to be, but an auk. This particular kind of auk is very rare, only 78 skins are known to exist and most are not preserved as well as this one. The great auk, as you can see, was a rather large bird, and it couldn't fly either. However, evidence suggests that the auk was an excellent swimmer and diver. Unfortunately, those abilities did not protect it from being easy prey for hungry sailors who years ago sailed the very cold and often icy waters of Greenland, Iceland, and Scotland. In fact, records indicate that the auk was rather tasty and that its eggs. Excuse me . . . that its eggs and feathers were useful as well. Still, it isn't clear what other factors led to the big bird's demise around 1844, the last time anyone reported seeing one. Of course, we believe it's important to take extra precautions to preserve the remaining great auk skins. After all, these specimens should prove invaluable for future scientific research. Does anyone have any questions before we move on to our next bird exhibit?