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10

Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula arctica) Alternate name(s): "Common Puffin", "Puffin" German name(s): "Papageitaucher" Size: 28-34 cm; wing span 50-60 cm Weight: 400-650 g

Europe: Family Group 10 Family Group 10 Table Great Skua Caspian Gull Great Black-backed Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull American Herring Gull European Herring Gull Yellow-legged Gull Audouin's Gull Slender-billed Gull Iceland Gull Common Gull Ring-billed Gull Black-headed Gull Bonaparte's Gull Mediterranean Gull Little Gull Sabine's Gull Black-legged Kittiwake Caspian Tern Sandwich Tern Gull-billed Tern Common Tern Arctic Tern Little Tern Forster's Tern Whiskered Tern Black Tern White-winged Black Tern Atlantic Puffin Razorbill Common Guillemot Black Guillemot Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names European birds home page

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Atlantic Puffins are medium-sized auks. Both sexes look alike and both have identical breeding and eclipse plumage. During the breeding season the plumage is black, white and grey. The cap, neck and back (mantle, wings) are black, with grey sides of the head. The front and flanks are white to light-grey. In eclipse the parts that are black during the breeding season turn dusky-grey, while the sides of the head also become darker. The brown irises are surrounded by red orbital rings. Their most prominent feature is the parrot-like bill, During the breeding season it has a red tip and dark-grey base, with yellow fringes at the base of the upper mandible and between red and dark-grey areas. They also have a bright yellow-orange loral spot. In eclipse parts of the red tip and the yellow fringes are shed, making the bill more inconspicuous. The legs and feet are bright orange. Juveniles resemble non-breeding adults, but with a noticeably smaller bill.

Taxonomy, classification See Atlantic Puffin at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Atlantic Puffin is available HERE . Some sources list 3 races of Atlantic Puffins, while others state that gradations are clinal and no races should be considered. The overall range of the Atlantic Puffin encompasses the northern Atlantic Ocean, including the North Sea, parts of the adjacent Arctic Ocean and large parts of the coastlines of both oceans. During the breeding season they are northward of a line connecting Maine, USA, with Bretagne, France. Outside the breeding season they extends their range to a lone connecting South Carolina, USA, with Western Sahara in Africa. Outside the breeding season they also enter the Mediterranean Sea. In Europe Atlantic Puffins breed along the coastlines of the North Atlantic (northern Bretagne, around the British Isles, the islands around Scotland towards Iceland and along the coastline of Norway, including western Svalbard, and the North coast of the Kola peninsula. They do not normally enter the Baltic Sea. Atlantic Puffins are a marine species that spends much of its life in open water and comes to rocky coasts and islands only to breed.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "arctica" M. Eaton reports spotting Atlantic Puffins, nominate race "arctica", at Skjervoy, near Tromso, Norway, in June 2018. In January 2023, J. Pires found Atlantic Puffins, race "arctica", at Papoa, near Cape Carvoeiro, Peniche, Portugal.

Photos

Race "arctica"

ADULT

Sex unknown

BREEDING

Near-frontal view of an Atlantic Puffin in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Skjervoy, near Tromso, Norway, June 2018]

(Near-)lateral view of Atlantic Puffins in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Skjervoy, near Tromso, Norway, June 2018]

Near-dorsal view of an Atlantic Puffin in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Skjervoy, near Tromso, Norway, June 2018]

Flock of Atlantic Puffins in breeding plumage on open water, together with some Razorbills (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Skjervoy, near Tromso, Norway, June 2018]

Lateral view of an Atlantic Puffin in breeding plumage during a running take-off (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Skjervoy, near Tromso, Norway, June 2018]

Lateral view of an Atlantic Puffin in breeding plumage in low flight (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Skjervoy, near Tromso, Norway, June 2018]

Lateral view of an Atlantic Puffin in breeding plumage in gliding flight (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Skjervoy, near Tromso, Norway, June 2018]

NON-BREEDING

Lateral view of 3 Atlantic Puffins in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Papoa, near Cape Carvoeiro, Peniche, Portugal, January 2023]

Lateral view of a small flock of Atlantic Puffins in non-breeding plumage
[Papoa, near Cape Carvoeiro, Peniche, Portugal, January 2023]

Lateral view of an Atlantic Puffin in non-breeding plumage in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Papoa, near Cape Carvoeiro, Peniche, Portugal, January 2023]

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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