Puffin - Fratercula Arctica

These are pelagic seabirds that feed primarily by diving in the water. They breed in large colonies on coastal cliffs or offshore islands, nesting in crevices among rocks or in burrows in the soil. Two species, the tufted puffin and horned puffin, are found in the North Pacific Ocean, while the Atlantic puffin is found in the North Atlantic Ocean.

All puffin species have predominantly black or black and white plumage, a stocky build, and large beaks. They shed the colourful outer parts of their bills after the breeding season, leaving a smaller and duller beak. Their short wings are adapted for swimming with a flying technique under water. In the air, they beat their wings rapidly (up to 400 times per minute) in swift flight, often flying low over the ocean's surface.
Puffins form long-term pair bonds or relationships. The female lays a single egg, and both parents incubate the egg and feed the chick (or "puffling"). The incubating parent holds the egg against its brood patch with its wings. The chicks fledge at night. After fledging, the chicks spend the first few years of their lives at sea, returning to breed about five years later. Puffins in captivity have been known to breed as early as three years of age.

After breeding, all three puffin species winter at sea, usually far from coasts and often extending south of the breeding range.

Iceland is the home to most of the Atlantic puffins with about 10 million individuals. The largest single puffin colony in the world is in Westmann Isles, islands that belong to Iceland. In 2009, scientists estimated the number of nests to be 1.1 million, and number of individuals there is estimated to be up to 4 million.
Used as a symbol for books and other items, this clown among seabirds is one of the world's favourite birds. With half of the UK population at only a few sites it is an Red List species

Population:

UK breeding:
580,000 pairs

Tags:   Puffin Puffins Auks Birds. Avian Animal Animals Wildlife. Wildbirds Wildlife Photography Jeff Lack Photography Seabirds Seashore Coastline Coastal-Birds Coast Sea Bempton Yorkshire Countryside Cliffs Nature NGC NPC

© All Rights Reserved

Puffin - Fratercula Arctica

Yorks

Thank you to all who take the time to Comment/fav etc...Always Appreciated.

Tags:   Puffin Puffins Birds. Avian Animal Animals Wildlife. Wildbirds Wildlife Photography Auks Seabirds Seashore Sea Cliffs Bempton Yorkshire Jeff Lack Photography Countryside Coastal-Birds Coastline Coastal Coast Nature

© All Rights Reserved

Puffin - Fratercula Arctica

Lunga

Thanks to all who take the time to Comment/fav etc...Always appreciated.

Tags:   Puffin Puffins Auks Seabirds Seashore Sea Cliffs Hebrides Lunga Countryside Coastal-Birds Coastline Coast Birds. Avian Animal Animals Wildlife. Wildbirds Jeff Lack Photography Wildlife Photography Nature NGC NPC coth5

© All Rights Reserved

Puffin - Fratercula Artica

Lunga, Treshnish Isles

Thanks to all who take the time to Comment etc...Always appreciated

Tags:   Puffin Puffins Auks Birds. Avian Animal Animals Wildlife. Wildbirds Seabirds Seashore Countryside Coastal-Birds Treshnish Lunga Nature NGC NPC

© All Rights Reserved

Puffin - Fratercula Arctica


Lunga
By Alyson

Tags:   Puffin Puffins Auks Avian Animal Wildlife. Seabirds Countryside Coastal-Birds Treshnish Lunga Scotland Hebrides Nature coth5 NGC NPC Birds. Wildbirds

© All Rights Reserved