Little Auk

Seen one? Add it to your free UK BirdedexHear its song and see the mapFree, no app download. Rare bird: +8 points when you log it.

Little Auk in the UK

A scarce but regular late autumn and winter visitor. It does not breed in Britain: the colonies are in the High Arctic. Numbers here swing widely from year to year. Most winters bring modest counts past North Sea headlands, but a long northerly blow can push thousands south. On 11 November 2007, 28,803 flew north past the Farne Islands, Northumberland, in a single day. After severe gales, exhausted birds are 'wrecked' inland on reservoirs, roads and even gardens. It is Green-listed in the UK.

Where and when to see a Little Auk

Late October to February, with November the peak month. Seawatch from North Sea headlands between Shetland and Kent during or just after strong northerly or north-easterly winds. Flamborough Head, Spurn, Whitburn and the Farne Islands are known spots. Early morning is best. Birds fly low and fast over the waves, often in small parties. After storms, check harbours, sheltered bays and coastal pools for tired birds. It is much scarcer on western coasts.

Habitat, diet and field notes

Habitat: Open sea (winter).
Diet: Plankton, small crustaceans.
Field note: Starling-sized auk; gales push them inland.

How to identify a Little Auk

Tiny for an auk: about the size of a Starling and clearly smaller than a Puffin. The body is dumpy and neckless with a stubby black bill. In winter it is black above and white below, with white curling up behind the eye and a dark half-collar on the breast sides. Close views show thin white lines on the shoulders and a white trailing edge to the inner wing. Flight is fast and whirring on dark underwings, low over the water. On the sea it rides low with wings drooped and dives often.

Call and song

Silent at sea, so you will not hear one in Britain. At Arctic colonies the birds give a shrill, chattering trill. Heard something you cannot place? Bird Hear identifies UK birds from a 10 second recording, free in your browser.

Confusion species

• Atlantic Puffin: Puffin is larger with a big head and deep bill, a dusky face in winter and no white trailing edge to the wing.
• Common Guillemot: Guillemot is about twice the length, with a long pointed bill and white underwings.
• Razorbill: A half-grown Razorbill or Guillemot chick at sea can look tiny, but it is seen in July to September beside a parent, before Little Auks arrive.

Related guide Bird migration in Britain.

Conservation status and Birdedex points

In the Birdedex the Little Auk is a Rare tier bird, worth +8 points when you log one. It is not on the Red or Amber lists in Birds of Conservation Concern 5.

Recent UK sightings

Similar birds

• Great Grey ShrikeRare · Open heath
• American WigeonRare · Wetlands (winter vagrant)
• Arctic RedpollRare · Birch
• Bewick's SwanRare · Wet pasture
• Black KiteRare · Open country (passage)
• Common RedpollRare · Birch woodland (winter)

Little Auk: quick answers

Where can I see a Little Auk in the UK?

The North Sea coast gives the best chance, from Shetland down to Norfolk and Kent. Pick a headland that sticks out into the sea and watch from a sheltered spot with a telescope. Inland birds do occur after storms, but they cannot be predicted.

When is the best time to see Little Auk?

November, on the first or second day of a strong northerly wind. Movements can go on for several days, as they did in November 2007, and birds often fly back north once the wind drops. Calm, mild winters may produce very few.

What does a Little Auk eat?

Tiny planktonic crustaceans, mainly copepods, caught by diving and swimming underwater with its wings. It needs to feed almost constantly, which is why birds blown inland weaken so fast. If you find a grounded one, contact a local wildlife rescue.

Kit that helps

Best spotting scopes for UK birding. Affiliate links, our own picks, no extra cost to you.