62-409: F. arctica F. cirrhata F. corniculata † F. dowi Lunda Sagmatorrhina Bonaparte, 1851 Puffins are any of three species of small alcids ( auks ) in the bird genus Fratercula . These are pelagic seabirds that feed primarily by diving in the water. They breed in large colonies on coastal cliffs or offshore islands, nesting in crevices among rocks or in burrows in
124-791: A belly flop. While at sea, the Atlantic puffin has its annual moult . Land birds mostly lose their primaries one pair at a time to enable them still to be able to fly, but the puffin sheds all its primaries at one time and dispenses with flight entirely for a month or two. The moult usually takes place between January and March, but young birds may lose their feathers a little later in the year. The Atlantic puffin diet consists almost entirely of fish, though examination of its stomach contents shows that it occasionally eats shrimp , other crustaceans , molluscs , and polychaete worms , especially in more coastal waters. When fishing, it swims underwater using its semi-extended wings as paddles to "fly" through
186-1131: A bird such as an Arctic skua or blackback gull can cause a puffin arriving with a beak full of fish to drop all the fish the puffin was holding in its mouth. The puffin's striking appearance, large, colourful bill, waddling gait, and behaviour have given rise to nicknames such as "clown of the sea" or "sea parrot". It is the official bird of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Rhinoceros auklet Tufted puffin Horned puffin Atlantic puffin Cassin's auklet Least auklet Parakeet auklet Whiskered auklet Crested auklet Guadalupe murrelet Scripps's murrelet Craveri's murrelet Japanese murrelet Ancient murrelet Long-billed murrelet Marbled murrelet Kittlitz's murrelet Black guillemot Spectacled guillemot Pigeon guillemot Thick-billed murre Common murre Little auk † Great auk Razorbill The Atlantic puffin
248-473: A black cap, the face is mainly white, and the feet are orange-red. The bill appears large and colorful during the breeding season. The colorful outer part of the bill is shed after the breeding season, revealing a smaller and duller true bill beneath. Because of their striking appearance they are also referred to as "clowns of the sea" and "sea parrots". Although the puffins are vocal at their breeding colonies, they are silent at sea. They fly relatively high above
310-433: A burrow in which a single white egg is laid. Chicks mostly feed on whole fish and grow rapidly. After about 6 weeks, they are fully fledged and make their way at night to the sea. They swim away from the shore and do not return to land for several years. Colonies are mostly on islands with no terrestrial predators, but adult birds and newly fledged chicks are at risk of attacks from the air by gulls and skuas . Sometimes,
372-415: A chamber, while the tunnel leading to a tufted puffin burrow may be up to 2.75 meters (9.0 feet) long. The nesting substrate of the tufted and Atlantic puffins is soft soil, into which tunnels are dug; in contrast, the nesting sites of horned puffins are rock crevices on cliffs. The Atlantic puffin burrow is usually lined with material such as grass, leaves, and feathers but is occasionally unlined. The eggs of
434-517: A copse, or wooded area. The Atlantic puffin is the provincial bird of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador . Atlantic puffin Alca arctica Linnaeus, 1758 The Atlantic puffin ( Fratercula arctica ), also known as the common puffin , is a species of seabird in the auk family . It is the only puffin native to the Atlantic Ocean ; two related species,
496-426: A long-living bird with a small clutch size, such as the Atlantic puffin, the survival rate of adults is an important factor influencing the success of the species. Only 5% of the ringed puffins that failed to reappear at the colony did so during the breeding season. The rest were lost some time between departing from land in the summer and reappearing the following spring. The birds spend the winter widely spread out in
558-401: A small, peaked area of horny blue-grey skin above them and a rectangular patch below. The irises are brown or very dark blue, and each has a red orbital ring. The underparts of the bird, the breast, belly, and under tail coverts, are white. By the end of the breeding season, the black plumage may have lost its shine or even taken on a slightly brown tinge. The legs are short and set well back on
620-439: A smaller and duller beak. Their short wings are adapted for swimming with a flying technique underwater. In the air, they beat their wings rapidly (up to 400 times per minute) in swift flight, often flying low over the ocean's surface. The English name "puffin" – puffed in the sense of swollen – was originally applied to the fatty, salted meat of young birds of the unrelated Manx shearwater ( Puffinus puffinus ), formerly known as
682-533: A time, crosswise in their bill, rather than regurgitating swallowed fish. This allows them to take longer foraging trips since they can come back with more food energy for their chick than a bird that can only carry one fish at a time. This behavior is made possible by the unique hinging mechanism of their beak, which allows the upper and lower biting edges to meet at any of a number of angles. In 2019, animal experts observed puffins, in two separate geographic locations, using sticks to scratch themselves indicating that
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#1732772445925744-607: A tool to scratch themselves. The Fraterculini fossil record in the Pacific extends at least as far back as the middle Miocene , with three fossil species of Cerorhinca , and material tentatively referred to that genus, in the middle Miocene to late Pliocene of southern California and northern Mexico. Although there are no records from the Miocene in the Atlantic, a re-examination of the North Carolina material indicated that
806-521: A white body and underparts. Its broad, boldly marked red-and-black beak and orange legs contrast with its plumage. It moults while at sea in the winter, and some of the brightly coloured facial characteristics are lost, with colour returning during the spring. The external appearances of the adult male and female are identical, though the male is usually slightly larger. The juvenile has similar plumage, but its cheek patches are dark grey. The juvenile does not have brightly coloured head ornamentation, its bill
868-468: A wide range, the species has declined rapidly, at least in parts of its range, resulting in it being rated as vulnerable by the IUCN . On land, it has the typical upright stance of an auk. At sea, it swims on the surface and feeds on zooplankton, small fish , and crabs, which it catches by diving underwater, using its wings for propulsion. This puffin has a black crown and back, pale grey cheek patches, and
930-420: A yellow, fleshy strip at the base of the bill. At the joint of the two mandibles is a yellow, wrinkled rosette. The exact proportions of the beak vary with the age of the bird. In an immature individual, the beak has reached its full length, but it is not as broad as that of an adult. With time the bill deepens, the upper edge curves, and a kink develops at its base. As the bird ages, one or more grooves may form on
992-639: Is Hydrotherikornis from Oregon dating to the Late Eocene while fossils of Aethia and Uria go back to the Late Miocene. Molecular clocks have been used to suggest an origin in the Pacific in the Paleocene. Fossils from North Carolina were originally thought to have been of two Fratercula species, but were later reassigned to one Fratercula , the tufted puffin, and a Cerorhinca species . Another extinct species, Dow's puffin ( Fratercula dowi )
1054-406: Is a species of seabird in the order Charadriiformes . It is in the auk family , Alcidae , which includes the guillemots , typical auks, murrelets , auklets , puffins , and the razorbill. The rhinoceros auklet ( Cerorhinca monocerata ) and the puffins are closely related, together composing the tribe Fraterculini. The Atlantic puffin is the only species in the genus Fratercula to occur in
1116-418: Is black and underside white . This provides camouflage , with aerial predators unable to locate the birds against the dark, watery background, and underwater attackers fail to notice them as they blend in with the bright sky above the waves. When it takes off, the Atlantic puffin patters across the surface of the water while vigorously flapping its wings, before launching itself into the air. The size of
1178-465: Is commonly featured on hotel menus. The fresh heart of a puffin is eaten raw as a traditional Icelandic delicacy. On the small Icelandic island of Grimsey as many as 200 puffins can be caught in a single morning. The name of the English island Lundy is believed to come from the old Norse word for "puffin island" (Lundey), although an alternative explanation has been suggested with Lund referring to
1240-453: Is narrower and is dark grey with a yellowish-brown tip, and its legs and feet are also dark. Puffins from northern populations are typically larger than in the south and these populations are generally considered a different subspecies. Spending the autumn and winter in the open ocean of the cold northern seas, the Atlantic puffin returns to coastal areas at the start of the breeding season in late spring. It nests in clifftop colonies , digging
1302-444: Is seldom seen out at sea. In Maine, light-level geolocators have been attached to the legs of puffins, which store information on their whereabouts. The birds need to be recaptured to access the information, a difficult task. One bird was found to have covered 7,700 km (4,800 mi) of the ocean in 8 months, traveling northwards to the northern Labrador Sea then southeastward to the mid-Atlantic before returning to land. In
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#17327724459251364-443: Is shown by an upright stance, with fluffed chest feathers and a cocked tail, an exaggerated slow walk, head jerking, and gaping. Submissive birds lower their heads and hold their bodies horizontally and scurry past dominant individuals. Birds normally signal their intention to take off by briefly lowering their bodies before running down the slope to gain momentum. If a bird is startled and takes off unexpectedly, panic can spread through
1426-423: Is sturdily built with a thick-set neck and short wings and tail. It is 28 to 30 cm (11 to 12 in) in length from the tip of its stout bill to its blunt-ended tail. Its wingspan is 47 to 63 cm (19 to 25 in) and on land it stands about 20 cm (8 in) high. The male is generally slightly larger than the female, but they are coloured alike. The forehead, crown, and nape are glossy black, as are
1488-662: The Audubon Society had success on Eastern Egg Rock Island in Maine, where, after a gap of 90 years, puffins were reintroduced and started breeding again. By 2011, over 120 pairs were nested on the small islet. On the Isle of May on the other side of the Atlantic, only five pairs of puffins were breeding in 1958, while 20 years later, 10,000 pairs were present. Puffin Island (disambiguation) Puffin Island may refer to
1550-487: The Faroes (subspecies F. a. grabae ) weighs 400 g (0.9 lb) and has a wing length of 158 mm (6.2 in). Individuals from southern Iceland (subspecies F. a. arctica ) are intermediate between the other two in size. Ernst Mayr has argued that the differences in size are clinal and are typical of variations found in the peripheral population and that no subspecies should be recognised. The Atlantic puffin
1612-542: The International Ornithological Congress . The three subspecies generally recognized are: The only morphological difference between the three is their size. Body length, wing length, and size of beak all increase at higher latitudes. For example, a puffin from northern Iceland (subspecies F. a. naumanii ) weighs about 650 g (1 lb 7 oz) and has a wing length of 186 mm ( 7 + 5 ⁄ 16 in), while one from
1674-509: The northerly distribution of the bird, being derived from the Greek ἄρκτος ( arktos ), the bear , referring to the northerly constellation , the Ursa Major (Great Bear). The vernacular name "puffin" – puffed in the sense of swollen – was originally applied to the fatty, salted meat of young birds of the unrelated species Manx shearwater ( Puffinus puffinus ), which in 1652 was known as
1736-596: The tufted puffin and the horned puffin being found in the northeastern Pacific . The Atlantic puffin breeds in Russia , Iceland , Ireland , Britain , Norway , Greenland , Newfoundland and Labrador , Nova Scotia , and the Faroe Islands , and as far south as Maine in the west and France in the east. It is most commonly found in the Westman Islands , Iceland. Although it has a large population and
1798-410: The "Manks puffin". It is an Anglo-Norman word ( Middle English pophyn or poffin ) used for the cured carcasses. The Atlantic puffin acquired the name at a much later stage, possibly because of its similar nesting habits, and it was formally applied to Fratercula arctica by Pennant in 1768. While the species is also known as the common puffin, "Atlantic puffin" is the English name recommended by
1860-592: The "Manks puffin". Puffin is an Anglo-Norman word ( Middle English pophyn or poffin ) for the cured carcasses of nestling Manx shearwaters. The genus Fratercula was introduced by the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson in 1760 with the Atlantic puffin ( Fratercula arctica ) as the type species . The name Fratercula is Latin for " friar " from the word fraterculus "little brother", because
1922-565: The Atlantic Ocean. Two other species are known from the northeast Pacific, the tufted puffin ( Fratercula cirrhata ) and the horned puffin ( Fratercula corniculata ), the latter being the closest relative of the Atlantic puffin. The generic name Fratercula comes from the Medieval Latin fratercula , friar , a reference to their black and white plumage, which resembles monastic robes. The specific name arctica refers to
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1984-441: The Atlantic puffin are typically creamy white but the occasional egg is tinged lilac. Where rabbits breed, sometimes Atlantic puffins breed in rabbit burrows. Puffins form long-term pair bonds or relationships. The female lays a single egg, and both parents incubate the egg and feed the chick (or "puffling"). The incubating parent holds the egg against its brood patch with its wings. The chicks fledge at night. After fledging,
2046-564: The air. It is typically silent at sea, except for the soft purring sounds it sometimes makes in flight. At the breeding colony, it is quiet above ground, but in its burrow makes a growling sound somewhat resembling a chainsaw being revved up. The Atlantic puffin is a bird of the colder waters of the North Atlantic Ocean. It breeds on the coasts of northwest Europe, the Arctic fringes, and eastern North America. More than 90% of
2108-419: The back, wings, and tail. A broad, black collar extends around the neck and throat. On each side of the head is a large, lozenge-shaped area of very pale grey. These face patches taper to a point and nearly meet at the back of the neck. The shape of the head creates a crease extending from the eye to the hindmost point of each patch, giving the appearance of a grey streak. The eyes look almost triangular because of
2170-406: The best locations, the most desirable nesting sites being the densely packed burrows on grassy slopes just above the cliff edge where take-off is most easily accomplished. The birds are usually monogamous , but this is the result of their fidelity to their nesting sites rather than to their mates, and they often return to the same burrows year after year. Later arrivals at the colony may find that all
2232-486: The best nesting sites have already been taken, so are pushed towards the periphery, where they are in greater danger of predation. Younger birds may come ashore a month or more after the mature birds and find no remaining nesting sites. They do not breed until the following year, although if the ground cover surrounding the colony is cut back before these subadults arrive, the number of successfully nesting pairs may be increased. Atlantic puffins are cautious when approaching
2294-679: The bird ranges widely across the North Atlantic Ocean, including the North Sea , and may enter the Arctic Circle . In the summer, its southern limit stretches from northern France to Maine; in the winter, the bird may range as far south as the Mediterranean Sea and North Carolina . These oceanic waters have such a vast extent of 15 × 10 ^ –30 × 10 ^ km (6 × 10 ^ –12 × 10 ^ sq mi) that each bird has more than 1 km of range at its disposal, so
2356-413: The body, giving the bird its upright stance when on land. Both legs and large webbed feet are bright orange, contrasting with the sharp, black claws. The beak is very distinctive. From the side, the beak is broad and triangular, but viewed from above, it is narrow. The half near the tip is orange-red and the half near the head is slate grey . A yellow, chevron-shaped ridge separates the two parts, with
2418-438: The chicks spend the first few years of their lives at sea, returning to breed about five years later. Puffins in captivity have been known to breed as early as three years of age. After breeding, all three puffin species winter at sea, usually far from coasts and often extending south of the breeding range. Iceland is the home to most of the Atlantic puffins with about 10 million individuals. The largest single puffin colony in
2480-459: The colony with all the birds launching themselves into the air and wheeling around in a great circle. The colony is at its most active in the evening, with birds standing outside their burrows, resting on the turf, or strolling around. Then, the slopes empty for the night as the birds fly out to sea to roost , often choosing to do so at fishing grounds ready for early-morning provisioning. The puffins are energetic burrow engineers and repairers, so
2542-410: The colony, and no bird likes to land in a location where other puffins are not already present. They make several circuits of the colony before alighting. On the ground, they spend much time preening, spreading oil from their preen gland, and setting each feather in its correct position with beak or claw. They also spend time standing by their burrow entrances and interacting with passing birds. Dominance
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2604-716: The diversity of puffins in the early Pliocene was as great in the Atlantic as it is in the Pacific today. This diversity was achieved through influxes of puffins from the Pacific; the later loss of species was due to major oceanographic changes in the late Pliocene due to closure of the Panamanian Seaway and the onset of severe glacial cycles in the North Atlantic. [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] The puffins are stocky, short-winged, and short-tailed birds, with black upper parts and white or brownish-grey underparts. The head has
2666-608: The global population is found in Europe (4,770,000–5,780,000 pairs, equalling 9,550,000–11,600,000 adults) and colonies in Iceland alone are home to 60% of the world's Atlantic puffins. The largest colony in the western Atlantic (estimated at more than 260,000 pairs) can be found at the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve , south of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador . Other major breeding locations include
2728-535: The grassy slopes may be undermined by a network of tunnels. This causes the turf to dry out in summer, vegetation to die, and dry soil to be whirled away by the wind. Burrows sometimes collapse, and humans may cause this to happen by walking incautiously across nesting slopes. A colony on Grassholm was lost through erosion when so little soil was left that burrows could not be made. New colonies are very unlikely to start up spontaneously because this gregarious bird only nests where others are already present. Nevertheless,
2790-470: The islands were abandoned in 1953, the islanders often lived just above starvation level. As a result, the puffins were hunted in large numbers for food. The Atlantic puffin forms part of the national diet in Iceland, where the species does not have legal protection. Puffins are hunted by a technique called "sky fishing", which involves catching the puffins in a large net as they dive into the sea. Their meat
2852-634: The north and west coasts of Norway, the Faroe Islands, Shetland and Orkney , the west coast of Greenland , and the coasts of Newfoundland . Smaller-sized colonies are also found elsewhere in the British Isles, the Murmansk area of Russia , Novaya Zemlya , Spitzbergen , Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Maine. Islands seem particularly attractive to the birds for breeding as compared to mainland sites, likely to avoid predators. While at sea,
2914-421: The open ocean, though a tendency exists for individuals from different colonies to overwinter in different areas. Little is known of their behaviour and diet at sea, but no correlation was found between environmental factors, such as temperature variations, and their mortality rate. A combination of the availability of food in winter and summer probably influences the survival of the birds, since individuals starting
2976-403: The puffin's black and white plumage resemble robes worn by monks . The genus contain three species. The rhinoceros auklet ( Cerorhinca monocerata ) has sometimes been included in the genus Fratercula , and some authors place the tufted puffin in the genus Lunda . The puffins and the rhinoceros auklet are closely related, together composing the subfamily Fraterculini. The oldest alcid fossil
3038-400: The red portion. The bird has a powerful bite. The characteristic bright orange bill plates and other facial characteristics develop in the spring. At the close of the breeding season, these special coatings and appendages are shed in a partial moult. This makes the beak appear less broad, the tip less bright, and the base darker grey. The eye ornaments are shed and the eyes appear round. At
3100-442: The same time, the feathers of the head and neck are replaced and the face becomes darker. This winter plumage is seldom seen by humans because when they have left their chicks, the birds head out to sea and do not return to land until the next breeding season. The juvenile bird is similar to the adult in plumage, but altogether duller with a much darker grey face and yellowish-brown beak tip and legs. After fledging, it makes its way to
3162-463: The seabirds have a basic ability to use tools. Puffins are hunted for eggs, feathers, and meat. Atlantic puffin populations drastically declined due to habitat destruction and exploitation during the 19th century and early 20th century. They continue to be hunted in Iceland and the Faroe Islands. The Blasket Islands off the Irish coast of County Kerry saw a serious decline due to harvesting. Until
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#17327724459253224-559: The soil. Two species, the tufted puffin and horned puffin , are found in the North Pacific Ocean , while the Atlantic puffin is found in the North Atlantic Ocean . All puffin species have predominantly black or black and white plumage, a stocky build, and large beaks that get brightly colored during the breeding season. They shed the colorful outer parts of their bills after the breeding season, leaving
3286-466: The spring, mature birds return to land, usually to the colony where they were hatched. Birds that were removed as chicks and released elsewhere were found to show fidelity to their point of liberation. They congregate for a few days on the sea in small groups offshore before returning to the cliff-top nesting sites. Each large puffin colony is divided into subcolonies by physical boundaries such as stands of bracken or gorse . Early arrivals take control of
3348-507: The surface. It can catch several small fish in one dive, holding the first ones in place in its beak with its muscular, grooved tongue while it catches others. The two mandibles are hinged in such a way that they can be held parallel to hold a row of fish in place and these are also retained by inward-facing serrations on the edges of the beak. It copes with the excess salt that it swallows partly through its kidneys and partly by excretion through specialised salt glands in its nostrils. In
3410-495: The task of finding even one bird on the vast ocean is formidable. When at sea, they bob about like a cork , propelling themselves through the water with powerful thrusts of their feet and keeping turned into the wind, even when resting and apparently asleep. They spend much time each day preening to keep their plumage in order and spread oil from their preen glands . Their downy under plumage remains dry and provides thermal insulation. In common with other seabirds, their upper surface
3472-419: The water and heads out to sea, and does not return to land for several years. In the interim, each year, it will have a broader bill, paler face patches, and brighter legs and beaks. The Atlantic puffin has a direct flight, typically 10 m (35 ft) above the sea surface and higher over the water than most other auks. It mostly moves by paddling along efficiently with its webbed feet and seldom takes to
3534-506: The water and its feet as a rudder. It swims fast and can reach considerable depths and stay submerged for up to a minute. It can eat shallow-bodied fish as long as 18 cm (7 in), but its prey is commonly smaller fish, around 7 cm (3 in) long. An adult bird needs to eat an estimated 40 of these per day – sand eels , herring , capelin , and sprats being the most often consumed. It fishes by sight and can swallow small fish while submerged, but larger specimens are brought to
3596-457: The water, typically 10 m (33 ft) as compared with the 1.6 m (5.2 ft) of other auks. Puffins breed in colonies on coasts and islands; several current or former island breeding sites are referred to as Puffin Island . The male Atlantic puffin builds the nest and exhibits strong nest-site fidelity. Both sexes of the horned puffin help to construct their nest. Horned puffin burrows are usually about 1 meter (3.3 feet) deep, ending in
3658-421: The wing has adapted to its dual use, both above and below the water, and its surface area is small relative to the bird's weight. To maintain flight, the wings must beat very rapidly at a rate of several times each second. The bird's flight is direct and low over the surface of the water, and it can travel at 80 km/h (50 mph). Landing is awkward; it either crashes into a wave crest or in calmer water, does
3720-406: The winter in poor condition are less likely to survive than those in good condition. Like many seabirds, the Atlantic puffin spends most of the year far from land in the open ocean and only visits coastal areas to breed. It is a sociable bird and it usually breeds in large colonies. Atlantic puffins lead solitary existences when out at sea, and this part of their lives has been little studied, as
3782-483: The world is in the Westmann Isles of Iceland . In 2009, scientists estimated the number of nests to be 1.1 million, and number of individuals there is estimated to be up to 4 million. Like many auks, puffins eat both fish and zooplankton but feed their chicks primarily with small marine fish several times a day. The puffins are distinct in their ability to hold several (sometimes over a dozen) small fish at
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#17327724459253844-590: Was found on the Channel Islands of California until the Late Pleistocene or early Holocene . The Fraterculini are thought to have originated in the Pacific, primarily due to their greater diversity there; there exists only one extant species in the Atlantic, compared to two in the Pacific. This species has shown some significant signs of animal intelligence. In January 2020, some researchers reported that, Atlantic puffins were seen using sticks as
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