The Great Auk

Mesmerising … There’s something endlessly pleasurable in listening to a person talk about a subject on which they’re both an enthusiast and an authority, and Tim Birkhead has both qualities in abundance. * The Telegraph *
As Tim Birkhead reminds us in this wide-ranging and deeply researched study, human exploitation of the species goes back millennia … A lively and meticulous book. * The Spectator *
A sad but engrossing elegy … The story of the great auk, movingly told in this book, continues. This remarkable bird is not forgotten. * Mail on Sunday *
‘An investigation and a homage; its a joy to come across some nerdish enthusiasm’ * The Daily Telegraph *
A fascinating book… The Great Auk tells the story of an iconic bird. * Literary Review *
Quite simply, one of the best natural history books I have read. * Birdwatch *
Tim Birkhead’s narrative is a poignant elegy for what has been lost… Over a century after its extinction, the great auk still has a life of its own. * Natural History *
Birkhead is not only one of the most eminent seabird specialists, who has been working intensively and continuously on guillemots for more than 50 years, but also an eloquent writer and excellent science communicator … The extinction of the great auk is a portent to shake us out of our ignorance and force us to rethink our lifestyles. Will it open our eyes? * Die Vogelwarte *
Tim Birkhead ably recreates the life of the flightless bird, and the far more bizarre after-story of humans fighting over skins, skeletons and egg collections … it’s a rallying call for conservation. * The Tablet *
Weaves a fascinating 20,000-year history of encounters with these intriguing birds into a deeper narrative exploring the tragedy of how human wonder and passion can mutate into destructive obsession. * Rebecca Wragg Sykes, author of Kindred *
The story of the Great Auk reveals how the attitudes and values of people cause entire species to be condemned to extinction. From the fragments of written historical accounts and the eggs and skins collected as the species teetered at the edge of oblivion, Birkhead expertly charts the demise and afterlife of a bird that while to this day is often discussed will never again be seen alive. This is the brilliantly told true story of a legend. * Tony Juniper *
The many strands that are the mark of the author, Tim Birkhead, are drawn together to tell the story of the Great Auk that is both expert and fascinating … A lifetime of experience and deep passion are woven into the pages of this book, and we are left with the message that all of us have a duty to make sure that this tragedy must not happen again. * Mary Colwell, author of Curlew Moon *
What a story! I was completely gripped by both the biology and the very human tale and Tim Birkhead’s perseverance in following it, not to mention his eloquence in telling it. * Matt Ridley, author of The Red Queen *
A comprehensive and beautifully written account of this extinct bird. * Errol Fuller, author of Lost Animals *

Tim Birkhead is an academic and a Fellow of the Royal Society. His professional interests span ornithology, evolution, reproductive biology, and the history of science. He is known for his work on the mating systems of birds and the history of ornithology.

Birkhead has received numerous accolades for his contributions:

• 2010: Elliot Coues Medal for outstanding and innovative contributions to ornithological research.
• 2012: Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour medal for outstanding contributions to the study of animal behaviour.
• 2016: The Godman-Salvin Medal for “distinguished ornithological work” by the British Ornithologists’ Union.
• 2016: Founders’ Medal of the Society for the Study of the History of Natural History for contributions to the history and bibliography of natural history.
• 2014: Zoological Society of London’s Silver Medal for contributions to the understanding and appreciation of Zoology.
• 2015: Eisenmann Medal of the Linnaean Society of New York for excellence in ornithology and encouragement of the amateur.
• 2017: Stephen Jay Gould Prize from the Society of Evolution for increasing public understanding of evolutionary biology.
• 2017: Zoological Society of London’s Clarivate Analytics Award for Communicating Zoology to a general audience for his book The Most Perfect Thing.
• 2004: Elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS).

Tim has authored or edited 15 books, including four popular science titles published by Bloomsbury:

• The Wisdom of Birds (2008)
• Bird Sense (2012)
• The Most Perfect Thing (2017)
• The Wonderful Mr Willughby (2018)

He is one of the four founders of New Networks for Nature, an annual festival that brings together scientists, writers, poets, artists, and musicians to celebrate our relationship with the natural world.

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