Meet Aptenodytes aurorae

Aptenodytes aurorae, more commonly known as the Arctic Aurora Penguin, is a rare bird that may or may not be extinct at the time of this writing. No one has accurately reported a sighting since the mid-1990's and reports prior to that have been scarce.

The first recorded sightings came during the early arctic explorations for the fabled Northwest Passage of the Arctic during the late 1700's through to the mid-1800's. The bird is extremely shy and getting close to one has been virtually impossible, even by the indigenous people of the North.

There has never been a captured specimen that could be examined by a scientist of the period, no photographs have ever been taken and all that we know of the bird are from journals of the period, some eyewitness reports and a few hand etchings.

The first recorded sighting was during the Kane expedition of 1803, looking for the lost Franklin expedition of the previous decade. Avid explorer John vonHuffman of Britain and Professor Sonntag, the ship's scientist, both made notes in their journals about their observations.

From vonHuffman's journals: "I am excited to report another viewing of the arctic bird this morning. Altho the moon is waning, its light combined with the light of the aurora borealis has made viewing the ice floe landscape tolerable. The curtain of lights has drawn out the flocke again. Their rich song rang from the sides of the berg we rest against and I could see their bellies reflecting the aurora like an iridescent waistcoat."

From Professor Sonntag's writings, "These animals are very scarce and very shy in this northern country. The Esquimaux never catch any here, as they cannot approach them near enough for the purpose. The flesh of these animals and that of the seal, was very useful to the ship's company as a remedy for the scurvy, some slight cases of which appeared among us in the spring months."

No one has seen the Arctic Penguin up close. The few fleeting sightings and early explorer sketches and descriptions are all we have with us today.

The early eyewitness sightings by vonHuffman and his companion scientist Professor Sonntag on the Kane expedition supply us with the bulk of the information we have on the bird's attributes.

Descriptions from various sources seem to agree that the bird is small in

stature, with a black head, back and flippers, fleshy coloured feet, a beak with some bluish striations. Especially notable is the striking coat on the abdomen that seems to reflect in an iridescent fashion.

They are particularly drawn to the lights of the borealis where observers have reported hearing them 'sing' to the lights. A high pitched keening that is multi-tonal and not unpleasant to listen to. No one has reported hearing their non-singing vocal patterns, and based on the characteristics of their southern cousins one would expect a similar sort of sound.

The Aurora Penguin lives in the far North, covering the arctic islands of Queen Victoria Island, Prince William Island, Foxe Basin and Baffin Island. Intermittent recorded sightings and traces of bark nests have all be noted on these particular islands. They may have a wider coverage but there has been no recorded proof to date. A. aurorae prefers to live on ice rather than frozen mainland. All island sightings have been along the

coastlines of the Northwest Passage by explorers and on board scientists. While there has been no formal expedition to sight and study the elusive bird, all arctic scientists keep an eye open for evidence of the Penguin while monitoring their other projects. It would be the discovery of the century to capture a live Arctic Penguin or to even find the intact remains of one to bring back to civilization.

Diet

Fish make up the bulk of the Aurora Penguin's diet, with its favourite being Arctic Char, a cousin to the Salmon. The Aurora dives into the ocean and chases down the Char, catching it with its beak. As fast as the Char swims, the Aurora Penguin is a strong and swift swimmer. This is evidenced by the reported sightings and rapid disappearances of the bird as recorded by observers.

The Arctic Penguin's diet is mainly fish.

Reproduction

Nothing is known about the mating habits or reproduction cycle of A. aurorae. Scientists suspect it to be similar to the Aurora's cousins in the Southern Antarctica. The fact that the Penguin has struggled with its survival in the North is attributed to a low fertility rate probably affected by the changing conditions of the Northern ice pack. No babies have ever been seen however remnant nests of bark with bits of twig have been found and suspected to belong to A. aurorae.

An early sketch of penguins and their offspring.

Sadly, the Arctic Aurora Penguin is suspected to be nearly or possibly completely extinct. Their incredible shyness has made it very difficult for field agents to tag and monitor. The last one spotted was in 1993 as it ducked behind an ice chunk during summer breakup in the Bering Sea. The observer was not able to get a closer look as it disappeared by the time he made his way there. A single flipper print in the melting snow was all there was to be found.

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