Near Hafnir in Reykjanesbær, Suðurnes, Iceland — North Atlantic and Artic Oceans (a Nordic Island)
The Last Great Auk
“The Lost Bird Project”
Photographed By James Hulse, September 12, 2019
1. The Last Great Auk Marker
SÍÐASTI MIKLI AUK
Stóraukinn (Pinguinus impennis) er útdauð fuglategund af alcid fjölskyldunni sem bjó í strandsvæðum í Norður-Atlantshafi. Fuglinn var stærsti meðlimur alcid fjölskyldunnar, allt að 70 cm á hæð og vegur um 5 kg. Miklir álfar voru veiddir til matar og stofninn afþakkaði rapp aðgerðalaus fyrir vikið. Þrátt fyrir að stóri aukinn væri vandvirkur sundmaður reyndist það auðvelt að ná því hann var fluglaus.
Álfarnir lifðu lengst af á Íslandi. Geirfuglasker (mikill aukaker), suður vestur af Eldey, var þekkt ræktunarsvæði fuglsins og Íslendingar myndu sigla út á skerið til að safna fuglum og eggjum. Kirsuberið sökk í sjóinn eftir eldfjallastarfsemi árið 1830. Síðasti stórálkurinn var drepinn 3. júní 1844 fyrir danskan náttúrugripasafnara.
"TAPAÐA FUGLAVERKEFNIÐ"
Reykjanesbær er aðili að alþjóðlega listaverkefninu, "The Lost Bird Project". Listamaðurinn Todd McGrain hefur búið til höggmyndir af útdauðum fuglum og leitast við að beina athygli nútíma samfélags að umhverfisvernd og ást á náttúrunni.
Fuglarnir eru steyptir í brons og hefur verið komið fyrir í ýmsum
this page online
THE LAST GREAT AUK
The great auk (Pinguinus impennis) is an extinct bird species of the alcid family that lived in coastal regions in the North Atlantic Ocean. The bird was the largest member of the alcid family, up to 70 cm in height and weighing around 5 kg. Great auks were hunted for food, and the stock declined rapidly as a result. Although the great auk was a proficient swimmer, it proved easy to catch, as it was flightless.
The auks survived longest in Iceland. Geirfuglasker (great auk skerry), south west of Eldey, was a known breeding ground for the bird, and Icelanders would sail out to the skerry to collect birds and eggs. The skerry sank into the sea following volcanic activities in 1830. The last great auk was killed on 3 June 1844 for a Danish natural history collector.
"THE LOST BIRD PROJECT"
Reykjanesbær is a member of the international art project, "The Lost Bird Project". Artist Todd McGrain has created sculptures of extinct birds and endeavours thereby to focus modern
Photographed By James Hulse, September 12, 2019
2. The English version of the The Last Great Auk Marker
The birds are cast in bronze and have been placed in various parts of the world, depending on where they originated. The artist presented Reykjanes bær with a statue of the great auk. It stands below Valahnúkur gazing out over the sea to Eldey. The sculpture reminds us of the shared responsibility that all nations bear as regards protection of nature and the environment.
Erected by Jardvangur Reykjanes Geopark Iceland.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Animals. A significant historical date for this entry is June 3, 1844.
Location. 63° 48.743′ N, 22° 42.911′ W. Marker is near Hafnir, Southern Peninsula Region (Suðurnes), in Reykjanesbær. Marker can be reached from Reykjanesvitavegur, 6.4 kilometers west of Nesvegur (Route 425). The marker is located at the sea cliffs along the ocean and it will be past the Reykjanes Lighthouse on the hill. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Hafnir, Southern Peninsula Region 233, Iceland. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 1 other marker is within 18 kilometers of this marker, measured as the crow flies. The Jón Forseti RE 108 Accident (approx. 17.8 kilometers away).
Also see . . . Great auk.
The great auk (Pinguinus impennis) is a species of flightless alcid that became(Submitted on June 10, 2021, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)extinct in the mid-19th century. It was the only modern species in the genus Pinguinus. It is not closely related to the birds now known as penguins, which were discovered later and so named by sailors because of their physical resemblance to the great auk. Source: WikipediaPhotographed By James Hulse, September 12, 20193. Artwork of the Last Great Auk along the sea cliff
Photographed By James Hulse, September 12, 2019
4. A view of the sea cliff
Credits. This page was last revised on June 10, 2021. It was originally submitted on June 10, 2021, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 157 times since then and 10 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on June 10, 2021, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.
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