An
auk is a
bird of the family
Alcidae in the order
Charadriiformes. Extant auks range in size from the
least auklet, at 85 g (3 oz) and , to the
thick-billed murre, at and . They are good swimmers and divers, but their walking appears clumsy. Modern auks can fly (except for the extinct
great auk). Due to their short wings, auks have to flap their wings very quickly in order to fly.