The Policía Local in Salobreña rescued an unusual seabird on Saturday on La Guardia Beach.
Beachgoers had come across a razorbill auk, or common auk. These birds normally remain out to sea so it is rare to sea them close to the coast unless there is a storm, when they take shelter on land.
The police collected it and handed it over to Reserva Natural Concertada Charca de Suárez who in turned passed it on to the Centro de Recuperación de Especies Amenazadas (CREA). Unfortunately, the creature died a few hours later.
The Manager of the Charca de Suárez, José Larios, explained that the established protocol is that aquatic birds found should be taken to their installations owing to the specialists on hand there until a representative from CREA arrives to collect it.
Citing Wikipedia: “the razorbill, razor-billed auk or lesser auk are closest living relative of the extinct great auk. They are mainly black with a white underside. This agile bird, which is capable of both flight and diving, has a predominantly aquatic lifestyle and only comes to land in order to breed.”
(News: Salobrena, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)