An extinct flightless seabird, also known as the great auk, that once lived in the North Atlantic before hunting drove it to extinction.
From Old Norse 'geirfugel' (spear bird) or similar Scandinavian origin, the word describes this remarkable bird that was hunted intensively for its feathers and eggs.
The garefowl was so heavily hunted for its down feathers that the last breeding pair was killed in 1844—this bird's extinction is one of the first we can document, making it a symbol of humanity's impact on nature!
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