Mancalla (SciiFii)

Lucas's auk (Mancalla neolucasi) is a species of flightless alcid that originally lived in California during the Miocene and Pliocene as an extinct species of Mancalla and the genus itself was once extinct, but has since been brought back from extinction by SciiFii and introduced throughout the modern Pacific coastlines of the United States and Mexico to help boost biodiversity. The Lucas's auk is a medium-sized bird that grows on average to be about 1 foot (30 centimeters) tall and weighing around 485-500 grams (17.1-17.6 ounces). Compared with auks of the Pinguinus genus, the Lucas's auk is more penguin-like in build and behavior. The Lucas's 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 Lucas's auks can regularly dive to depths of between 20 to 50 meters deep in order to forage for prey. Lucas's 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 Lucas's 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 on the Californian coastlines. 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 Lucas's auk is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts and the Lucas's auk's wide range.
Category:Animals
Category:Species
Category:SciiFii