I’ve always been interested in puffins. I think it’s because they’re so cute with their bright bills. I have seen puffins in the wild during our trips to Britain, but I haven’t had a close encounter so they’re still on my list of things to see one day.
Thirteen Facts About Puffins
1. Puffins spend most of their time at sea, only returning to land to breed during spring.
2. Puffins are known for their distinctive black and white coloring and their bright orange beak. The beak is actually gray while they’re at sea and turns orange when it’s time to return to land. They’re the cutest thing.
3. Puffins are strong swimmers and can dive to 200 feet. They don’t stay underwater for long.
4. Puffins eat small fish e.g. herrings.
5. On land, they live in colonies.
6. Birds usually mate for life.
7. The females lay a single egg.
8. The parents take turns feeding the chick
9. Over 60% of the puffins are in Iceland.
10. They supplement their meals by drinking seawater.
11. Puffins choose a partner when they’re around 3 – 5 years old.
12. When a couple reunite they knock their bills together. This is called billing.
13. The puffins nest in burrows and return to the same one each year.
Source: National Geographic http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/atlantic-puffin/
http://www.animalfactguide.com/animalfacts/atlantic-puffin/
Puffin with Fish © Paul Edwards | Dreamstime.com
Have you seen a puffin before?
