Miomancalla (SciiFii)

The Pacific flightless auk (Miomancalla pacifica) is a species of seabird of the subfamily Mancallinae that originally lived in the Californian coasts during the Pliocene as an extinct species of Miomancalla and the genus itself was once extinct, but has since been brought back from extinction by SciiFii and introduced throughout the modern Pacific coastlines across Canada, Washington, Oregon, California, and Mexico (including Baja California) to help boost biodiversity. The Pacific flightless auk is the largest member of the auk family, growing to be about 3.3 feet (1 meter) tall and weighing 5.3 kilograms (11.8 lbs) on average. Compared with auks of the Pinguinus genus, the Pacific flightless auk is more penguin-like in build and behavior. The Pacific flightless auk feeds primarily in the water and usually preys on cuttlefish, squid, krill, and other crustaceans, and ingest sea water with its prey. Their salt-excreting gland rids the salt from their bodies. Adult Pacific flightless auks can regularly dive to depths of between 20 to 50 meters deep in order to forage for prey. Pacific flightless auks travel in large flocks when hunting for food. In the breeding season, these birds gather in large nesting colonies at the coasts which have a density of 20 nests per 100 m2. The breeding season begins with the arrival of adult Pacific flightless auks at the breeding colonies in March and extends into late August and September when the chicks are mature enough to leave the colonies. One of the largest of these colonies is located at the Channel Islands. Nests are built under bushes or in burrows. Two or three eggs are laid. Incubation lasts 39–42 days, a task which the parents share in 10- to 15-day shifts. The chicks are cared for by both parents for 29 days and are fed every two to three days. Normally, both are raised through adulthood, though occasionally only one chick is raised. The conservation status of the Pacific flightless auk is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts and the Pacific flightless auk's wide range.
Category:Animals
Category:Species
Category:SciiFii