Ancient Murrelet (Synthliboramphus antiquus)
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About Ancient Murrelet (Synthliboramphus antiquus)
- Kingdom: Animals
- Phylum: Chordates
- Class: Birds
- Order: Shorebirds and Allies
- Family: Auks, Murres, Guillemots, and Puffins
The ancient murrelet is a bird in the auk family. The English term "murrelet" is a diminutive of "murre", a word of uncertain origins, but which may imitate the call of the common guillemot. Ancient murrelets are called "ancient" because they have grey on the back like a shawl, as worn by the elderly.