Why the Great Auk?

The trustees of the C. F. Adams Charitable Trust selected the Great Auk for the masthead of this website because of its significance to the donor. Charles Francis Adams, an avid sailor, named all six of his boats Auk, I-VI. He was fascinated by the flightless bird's power and grace in the water and its ability to travel long distances in the ocean. The bird's extinction in 1844 caused by human behavior was for him a cautionary tale about responsible stewardship of the earth's resources for future generations.

For centuries, the Great Auk was hunted for its eggs and its feathers. It was easy prey in its nesting areas because it did not fly. Mating pairs produced only one egg per year. As awareness of its dwindling numbers grew, the bird's decline was accelerated by efforts to collect specimens and eggs for natural history museums. The last pair located on an island near Iceland was incubating an egg when specimen collectors killed both in 1844.