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In contrast to penguins, auks are able to fly (with the exception of the extinct Great Auk). They are good swimmers and divers, but their walking appears clumsy. Due to their short wings auks have to flap their wings very fast in order to fly.

Auks live on the open sea. Only for breeding do they go ashore. Most species breed at steep cliffs, often together with gulls, petrels and gannetGannets Northern Gannet : Animalia : Chordata : Aves : Passeriformes : Sulidae Morus Morus bassanus ''Morus capensis ''Morus serrator The gannets are part of the family Sulidae. This is a group of seabirds, which is closely related to the boobies. The thrs, or amongst boulders.

Several species have different names in EuropeFor the band of the same name, see Europe (band . Europe is a continent forming the westermost part of the Eurasian supercontinent. Europe is bounded to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the west by the Atlantic Ocean, to the south by the Mediterranean Se and North AmericaNorth America is the third largest continent in area and the fourth ranked in population. It is bounded on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west by the North Pacific Ocea. The guillemots of Europe are murres in North America, if they occur in both continents, and the Little Auk becomes the Dovekie.

thumb Black GuillemotBlack Guillemot Scientific Classification : Animalia : Chordata : Aves : Charadriiformes : Alcidae : Cepphus : grylle Binomial name ''Cepphus grylle ( Linnaeus, 1758) The Black Guillemot or Tystie Cepphus grylle is a medium-sized alcid. Adult birds have b in summer and winter plumages

Many species, such as the Uria guillemots nest in large colonies on cliff edges, but the Cepphus guillemots breed in small groups on rocky coasts.