Fascinating Puffin Fact 3

Fascinating  Puffin Fact

THE SCIENTIFIC NAME FOR THE ATLANTIC PUFFIN IS FRATERCULA ARCTICA.

Puffins belong to the family Alcidae, a group of seabirds that also includes guillemots, and auks.

THERE ARE THREE RECOGNIZED SPECIES OF PUFFINS: ATLANTIC PUFFIN (FRATERCULA ARCTICA), HORNED PUFFIN (FRATERCULA CORNICULATA) AND THE TUFTED PUFFIN (FRATERCULA CIRRHATA).

Puffins are found in the North Atlantic and Pacific coasts of North America, with the Atlantic Puffin breeding in Eastern North America, Greenland, Iceland, the UK, and Europe, the Horned Puffin in the Pacific coast from Alaska to California, and the Tufted Puffin from Japan to California.

Atlantic Puffins are a migratory species that spend the majority of their time at sea, crossing the Atlantic Ocean during their travels.

The Atlantic Puffin is the smallest, while the Tufted Puffin is the largest.

Puffins have distinctive black and white feathers, a black crown and webbed feet.

THE ATLANTIC PUFFIN HAS A PREDOMINANTLY BLACK BODY WITH A WHITE BELLY. ITS FACE IS WHITE, ACCENTUATED BY A BRIGHTLY COLOURED BEAK.

They are known for their brightly coloured beaks (yellow, red, and orange), which are most vibrant during the breeding season.

Puffins are small to medium-sized seabirds, typically measuring 25-30 cm in length, depending on the specie.

THEY ALSO HAVE A WINGSPAN THAT RANGES FROM 47 TO 55 CM AND CAN WEIGH ANYTHING FROM 380 TO 620 GRAMS.

PUFFINS BREED IN LARGE COLONIES ON ROCKY ISLANDS, CLIFFS, AND COASTLINES IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC, TYPICALLY IN AREAS WITH STEEP SLOPES AND CREVICES, AND AT ELEVATIONS OF UP TO 218 METERS, WHERE THEY CAN AVOID PREDATORS AND NEST SAFELY.

Puffin colonies can range from a few hundred to hundreds of thousands of birds.

A GROUP OF PUFFINS CAN BE CALLED VARIOUS NAMES, INCLUDING A COLONY, PUFFINRY OR EVEN A CIRCUS.

When threatened or defending its territory, a puffin will adopt a threat posture, puffing itself up, spreading its wings, and opening its beak, while also stamping its feet to appear more intimidating.

During intense confrontations, puffins will engage in a fierce display of aggression, locking beaks and flapping their wings and feet in a bid to assert dominance.

TO SIGNAL PEACEFUL INTENTIONS, A PUFFIN APPROACHING ANOTHER’S BURROW WILL DISPLAY A SUBMISSIVE POSTURE, LOWERING ITS BEAK TO ITS CHEST AND RAPIDLY MOVING PAST, INDICATING THAT IT MEANS NO HARM.

Puffins are carnivores, feeding on small fish like sand eels, herring, and capelin.

Their diet also consists of crustaceans and zooplankton.

PUFFINS CATCH THEIR PREY WHILE SWIMMING UNDERWATER, USING THEIR WINGS TO PROPEL THEMSELVES.

To sustain themselves, puffins consume about 40 small fish per day, which they catch using specialized beaks equipped with barbs that help hold fish securely while they continue hunting.

Puffin wings are specially adapted for swimming and diving, rather than flying.

Puffins can fly, but they are not very efficient fliers and prefer to swim and dive instead.

They are social birds, often breeding in large colonies during nesting season.

PUFFINS EXCAVATE BURROWS, TYPICALLY 70-110 CM IN LENGTH, USING THEIR LONG

BILLS, AND THEN LINE THE NESTING CHAMBER WITH FEATHERS AND GRASSES TO CREATE A COZY AND SAFE SPACE FORLAYING THEIR EGGS.

Puffins engage in unique mating rituals, including the presentation of fish to potential mates.

They communicate through vocalizations and body language, including head tilts and bill clapping.

They are also monogamous, with pairs forming during the breeding season.

PUFFINS BREED IN THE SPRING AND SUMMER, WITH THE FEMALE L AYING A SINGLE EGG IN A BURROW OR CREVICE.

Both parents take turns incubating the egg for about 36-45 days before it hatches and caring for the chick.

A YOUNG PUFFIN IS CALLED A CHICK OR PUFFLING.

Both parents also share responsibilities in feeding and protecting the chick.

PUFFIN CHICKS DEVELOP QUICKLY, GROWING THEIR FEATHERS AND LEARNING TO SWIM AND DIVE WITHIN A FEW WEEKS OF HATCHING.

Puffin chicks fledge at around 6-8 weeks old, leaving the nest and starting their independent lives.

PUFFINS REACH MATURITY AT AROUND 3–5 YEARS.

According to some studied, Puffins can live up to 20-30 years in the wild, although the average lifespan is around 10-15 years, but this may vary depending on various factors.

THE ATLANTIC PUFFIN IS LISTED AS VULNERABLE ON THE IUCN RED LIST, DUE TO DECLINES IN POPULATION AND HABITAT LOSS.

Predators of the Puffin include gulls, foxes, seals, eagles and humans.

EGGS AND CHICKS ARE ALSO VULNERABLE TO RATS AND DOMESTIC PETS.

POLLUTION, PARTICULARLY OIL SPILLS, ARE MAJOR THREATS TO PUFFIN POPULATIONS.

Puffins also face threats from climate change and overfishing.

Conservation efforts, including habitat restoration and protection, have helped some puffin populations recover.

Puffins dig burrows in rocky cliffs and hillsides, they often use the same burrow for many years.

Not only do they often re-use the same nesting sites, but also return to the same mate year after year.

PUFFIN FEATHERS ARE SPECIALLY ADAPTED TO HELP THEM SWIM AND DIVE IN THE WATER.

These feathers are waterproof, allowing them to stay warm and dry while swimming.

THEIR BEAKS ARE SPECIALLY ADAPTED TO HELP THEM CATCH FISH.

They can dive to depths of up to 60 meters in search of food.

They can even hold their breath for up to 30 seconds while they dive.

The IUCN Red List estimates that Iceland hosts around 8-10 million breeding pairs of Atlantic Puffins, which is approximately 50-60% of the global population.

PUFFINS, LIKE OTHER SEABIRDS, HAVE A UNIQUE PHYSIOLOGICAL ADAPTATION THAT ALLOWS THEM TO EXCRETE EXCESS SALT FROM SEAWATER.

Puffins have a pair of salt-excreting glands, also known as nasal salt glands or salt glands, located above their eyes.

THIS ADAPTATION IS ESSENTIAL FOR PUFFINS TO SURVIVE IN A MARINE ENVIRONMENT.

Puffins are sometimes nicknamed “clowns of the sea” due to their colourful beaks and unique facial features.

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