Call of the Atlantic puffin, recorded on Skokholm, Wales
Conservation status
Vulnerable (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:
Eukaryota
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Aves
Order:
Charadriiformes
Family:
Alcidae
Genus:
Fratercula
Species:
F. arctica
Binomial name
Fratercula arctica
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Breeding range (orange) and winter range (yellow)
Synonyms
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, the tufted puffin and the horned puffin are found in the northeastern Pacific. The Atlantic puffin breeds in Russia, Iceland, Ireland,[2] 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 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 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 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 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, 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.
^BirdLife International (2018). "Fratercula arctica". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T22694927A132581443. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22694927A132581443.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
The Atlanticpuffin (Fratercula arctica), also known as the common puffin, is a species of seabird in the auk family. It is the only puffin native to...
tufted puffin and horned puffin, are found in the North Pacific Ocean, while the Atlanticpuffin is found in the North Atlantic Ocean. All puffin species...
as the "Manks puffin". It is an Anglo-Norman word (Middle English pophyn or poffin) used for the cured carcasses. The Atlanticpuffin acquired the name...
explore their world. Oona (voiced by Kate McCafferty) is a female AtlanticPuffin and the main character of the series. She is preschool-aged and treats...
the world's population of Manx shearwaters nest on the island, the Atlanticpuffin colony is the largest in southern Britain, and the Skomer vole (a subspecies...
The tufted puffin (Fratercula cirrhata), also known as crested puffin, is a relatively abundant medium-sized pelagic seabird in the auk family (Alcidae)...
Charadriiformes. The alcid family includes the murres, guillemots, auklets, puffins, and murrelets. The family contains 25 extant or recently extinct species...
safety and suitability as a breeding ground. When seabirds like the Atlanticpuffin return to their natal breeding colony, which are mostly on islands...
and is known for its breeding seabirds, including northern gannet, Atlanticpuffin, razorbill, common guillemot, black-legged kittiwake and fulmar. There...
Manks puffins in the 17th century. Puffin is an Anglo-Norman word (Middle English pophyn) for the cured carcasses of nestling shearwaters. The Atlantic puffin...
provides a breeding ground for up to 1300 pairs of AtlanticPuffin and is part of the largest AtlanticPuffin colony in North America. The island is made up...
refer to the origin of the Atlanticpuffin used in the children's book Jupu the Puffin: A Usonian Story. The bird is a puffin from Maine, US. Malcolm Willey...
abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental...
has numerous seabird colonies. Birds found in the islands include Atlanticpuffin, storm-petrel, red-throated diver, northern gannet and great skua (locally...
European herring gull, the great blue heron, the sandhill crane, the Atlanticpuffin and the common loon. The large land wildlife includes the white-tailed...
villosus) is a small forage fish of the smelt family found in the North Atlantic, North Pacific and Arctic oceans. In summer, it grazes on dense swarms...
Some avians such as swans, bald eagles, California condors, and the AtlanticPuffin are not only monogamous, but also form lifelong pair bonds. When discussing...
on planktonic crustaceans, squid and forage fish. Examples are the Atlanticpuffin, macaroni penguins, sooty terns, shearwaters, and Procellariiformes...
estimated 40,000 brown rats is giving populations of Manx shearwater and Atlanticpuffin a chance to recover from near-extinction. Rodents have also been susceptible...
common murre, thick-billed murre, razorbill, kittiwake, little auk and Atlanticpuffin. The number of breeding couples may exhibit large variations depending...
Baltic Seas. Sand eels are an important food source for seabirds, including puffins and kittiwakes. They are a commercially important for the production of...
colonies of Arctic and common terns on the inner Farne Islands, and of Atlanticpuffin, European shag and razorbill on Staple Island. Archaeological excavations...
life includes the corncrake, red-throated diver, kittiwake, tystie, Atlanticpuffin, goldeneye and golden eagle. The eggs of the last breeding pair of...