Monday-ish word: dovekie

[ersatz-read.livejournal.com]

dovekie or dovekey (dŭv′kē), noun

A small, stout black-and-white seabird with a short bill, living in the Arctic and northern Atlantic Oceans.
Alle alle, the only member of the genus Alle. Also called 'little auk'.

Etymology: diminutive of 'dove'.

The Audobon site says the total population is "undoubtedly in millions".

'Kiviak' is an Inuit dish made by fermenting dovekies in a seal skin; this site has a little more about it. I first heard of kiviak (or kiviar) in the book Ferment & Human Nutrition: "the heat of the birds causes a ferment...and the whole lot is buried below the permafrost...for later partying in winter". Personally, I have no interest in trying that recipe (and not just because it's hard to eat adorable things), but the book is fascinating.

The picture is from the excellent allaboutbirds site.