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Atlantic Puffin

Atlantic puffins are famous for their striking black-and-white feathers and colorful beaks, which have earned them a distinctive nickname: the clowns of the ocean!

 

Atlantic puffins are truly birds of the sea, spending most of their time flying across the wide Atlantic ocean. As expert swimmers, they will plunge into the sea and use their wings to “fly” underwater in pursuit of small forage fish like herring, capelin, and sandeels. The puffin’s feathers have a wax coating, which helps them repel water. Puffins will even rest or sleep on the water while migrating, occasionally poking their head beneath the waves to look for predators like fish and gray seals.

Puffins only leave the sea when it’s time to breed in the summer. Then, they gather together in colonies along coastal cliffs. Atlantic puffins are quite the lovebirds, with mated pairs typically staying together for their entire lives. Partners will strengthen their bond by touching their beaks together. After finding their mate, puffin pairs work together to create a burrow where they will raise their single chick — called a puffling!

 

 

Atlantic puffins face a number of challenges, which has led to them being considered Vulnerable by the IUCN Red List. 

Climate Change 

The impacts of climate change can disrupt the availability of fish that puffins depend on to feed to their chicks, leading to breeding failures. Increasing storms and other extreme weather events, which are becoming more frequent, also can lead to mass seabird mortality. 

Overfishing 

In addition to climate change’s impacts on puffin’s prey, unsustainable commercial fishing is also a serious threat to these birds. Not only can it lead to fishery collapse, leaving these birds and their chicks without enough to eat, but puffins can potentially become entangled in gillnets and other fishing gear.

Oil Spills 

Puffins caught in oil are unable to fly, which poses a threat to their survival. The long-term impacts of oil spills and other ocean pollutants can also negatively impact their environment and further deplete food resources for puffins.

 

 

Offshore drilling both exacerbates the climate crisis and can lead to oil spills that harm Atlantic puffins and their environment. Oceana campaigns to stop the expansion of offshore drilling around the world and promote responsibly sourced renewable energy. In Canada, we are also working to safeguard forage fish, like capelin and herring, which Atlantic puffins depend on, and fight for modern fisheries management that prioritizes the health of the ecosystem and allows for the pairing of Indigenous Knowledge Systems with Western science.

 

 

  • Animal Diversity Web 
  • IUCN Red List 
  • Johansson, LC and Aldrin, BSW. (2002) Kinematics of diving Atlantic puffins (Fratercula arctica L.): evidence for an active upstroke. The Journal of Experimental Biology 205:371-378. 

 

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