The Puffin is an extremely unique looking bird that just about everyone will recognize. There are only three species of the Puffin, all with very brightly colored beaks to help them in breeding season. Puffins are all seabirds that feed like penguins do, by diving down into the water for their food and they have adapted their wings for mainly swimming instead of flight so that they can gather more food, but they can still fly. They also live like penguins do, in large colonies on coastal cliffs or on offshore islands where they won't be bothered too much by people and other predators. Two breeds of Puffins are found in the Northern Pacific Ocean, while the other is found in the Northern Atlantic Ocean areas.
All Puffins have black, or black and white, plumage and are very small, stocky birds. After breeding season, they shed their bright, outter areas of their bills and use the small, duller beak that is underneath. They have a black cap on their heads, their faces are maily white, and they have very bright orange-red feet. When they are in their colonies, they can be very vocal and loud, although when they are at sea feeding, they are silent. When they fly to get food out in the ocean, they will actually fly a lot higher than some other sea birds, about 10 meters (or 30 feet) above the water, while other birds of similar type will only fly about 1.6 meters (or 5 feet) above the water.
Puffins breed in their large colonies on islands and coastal areas. Both sexes will help to build the nest for the young and each different species will build a different type of nest. For example, the Atlantic Puffin will build a nest that is strong and sturdy on the same area as other puffins in their colony. Horned Puffins actually burrow about 1 meter deep, that ends in a large chamber. And, the Tufted Puffin will also burrow with a tunnel that can be up to 2.75 meters (or 9 feet) long. They will also line these burrows with feathers, grass, and leaves, as well as other items that will help to keep the babies warm and cozy if mom and dad have to step out for a while.
Puffins are another bird species that form a long-term breeding relationship together. The female will lay the single egg and then both parents take turns incubating it and feeding the baby chick. While the other parent is out, the parent that is incubating the egg or chick will hold it against it's brood patch with it's wings to ensure that it gets the maximum body heat possible to keep the egg warm. After the chicks hatch, they spend the first few years of
their lives at sea, only returning to breed after about five years. Of course, Puffins that have been in captivity have been known to breed after only three years. When breeding season is over, all of the three Puffin species will winter at sea, far from the coast and can even head south past their normal breeding range.
Unfortunately, Puffins are hunted for their feathers, meat and eggs, which has led to the Atlantic Puffin's population becoming severely low during the 1800's and early 1900's. This has caused several conservation groups to form to help save the Puffins, even though they continue to be hunted in Iceland and the Faroe Islands. In Iceland, the Puffin is part of the national diet, because the species does not have legal protection there. They are hunted by a technique called "Sky fishing" where nets are thrown over low-flying birds.
SOS Puffin is the conservation project that is based from the Scottish Seabird Center in North Berwick to help save the puffins on the islands in the Firth or Forth. The numbers on the islands were once the largest colony recorded, at over 28,000 pairs. But, the numbers have crashed recently to only a few thousand due to an odd plant called the Tree Mallow that has taken over the island and prevented the Puffin from reaching their homes and burrows.
Puffins are never kept as pets as they are a protected species throughout the world. So, the only way that many people will ever own one is here on Birdland. Make sure that you find out about the different conservation efforts for the Puffin and help do your part to ensure that they remain part of our world for generations to come.
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