Auks · Shorebirds
Atlantic Puffin
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Fratercula arctica
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How to recognize it
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30–35 cm, compact black-and-white seabird shape
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Pale grey cheeks, white underparts, orange-red legs
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Broad red-and-black bill with a yellow ridge
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Low direct flight; waddling walk on land; call "grrr"
About the species
The Atlantic Puffin wears a black cap and back, white underparts, and pale grey cheek patches. Its brightest mark is the heavy beak — red and black with a yellow ridge and base, plus orange legs that match the bill’s colour in spring.
On land it stands upright and moves with a quick, awkward waddle, and in the water it paddles along with its feet, then dives after fish. It is mostly quiet at sea, though it can make soft purring sounds in flight and a growling note near the burrow. In the breeding colony it often circles before landing and returns to the same nesting spot year after year.
It breeds on islands and coastal cliffs across the North Atlantic, nesting in burrows on grassy slopes or in thick peat. Fish make up most of its diet, especially sand eels, herring, capelin, and sprats, which it carries to chicks in the bill. After summer, it leaves land and spends the winter far out at sea, returning to colonies in spring.
Where to find
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On piers, breakwaters, and right along the wave edge, the Atlantic Puffin sits low and awkward on the water, then runs a few steps across the surface before taking off.
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In spring near sea embankments and stone harbors, look for small groups circling offshore before they settle or head back toward the cliffs.
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On offshore islets and steep rocky shores, late afternoon can bring quick flights to burrow entrances and busy comings-and-goings at a colony.
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At a bay mouth or just offshore from cliffs, adults often arrive in batches with fish in the bill, heading straight for nesting burrows.
You might also see
Sources
- eBird — Fratercula arctica Sightings map and full description on eBird
- Wikipedia — Atlantic puffin Encyclopedia article