These charismatic seabirds are the Northern Hemisphere equivalent of Penguins. All are erect stocky birds with large webbed feet & short stiff wings. Auks use their stubby paddle-shaped wings to 'fly' underwater making them strong divers but rather poor in the air. In fact one auk species had actually lost the power of flight -but sadly this, the Great Auk, holds the distinction of being the only globally extinct Scottish breeding bird.