![]() ![]() The Atlantic puffin is the only species in the genus Fratercula to occur in the Atlantic Ocean. ![]() The rhinoceros auklet ( Cerorhinca monocerata) and the puffins are closely related, together composing the tribe Fraterculini. It is in the auk family, Alcidae, which includes the guillemots, typical auks, murrelets, auklets, puffins, and the razorbill. The Atlantic puffin is a species of seabird in the order Charadriiformes. It is the official bird of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The puffin's striking appearance, large, colourful bill, waddling gait, and behaviour have given rise to nicknames such as "clown of the sea" and "sea parrot". 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. They swim away from the shore and do not return to land for several years.Ĭolonies 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. After about 6 weeks, they are fully fledged and make their way at night to the sea. Chicks mostly feed on whole fish and grow rapidly. It nests in clifftop colonies, digging a burrow in which a single white egg is laid. 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. Puffins from northern populations are typically larger than in the south and these populations are generally considered a different subspecies. 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. The juvenile has similar plumage, but its cheek patches are dark grey. The external appearances of the adult male and female are identical, though the male is usually slightly larger. It moults while at sea in the winter, and some of the brightly coloured facial characteristics are lost, with colour returning during the spring. Its broad, boldly marked red-and-black beak and orange legs contrast with its plumage. This puffin has a black crown and back, pale grey cheek patches, and a white body and underparts. At sea, it swims on the surface and feeds on small fish and crabs, which it catches by diving underwater, using its wings for propulsion. On land, it has the typical upright stance of an auk. 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. It is most commonly found in the Westman Islands, Iceland. The Atlantic puffin breeds in Russia, Iceland, Ireland, 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 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 ( Fratercula arctica), also known as the common puffin, is a species of seabird in the auk family. Send us feedback about these examples.Breeding range (orange) and winter range (yellow) These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'puffin.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Katie Lockhart, CNN, 26 July 2022 See More ![]() 2022 Guests can stay for the night, camp or try puffin at the restaurant of this quirky country hotel. Monica Cull, Discover Magazine, 27 Sep. 2023 There are four species of puffin: the Atlantic, the horned, the tufted and the rhinoceros auklet. 2021 Only about 4,500 people share Vestmannaeyjar with nearly a million puffin pairs that make up the largest Atlantic puffin colony on the planet. Elizabeth Pennisi, Science | AAAS, 5 Jan. ![]() 2023 Until now, most researchers have assumed the puffin’s slow stroke rate and flexed wings (which generate lift like helicopter blades to propel the bird through the water) were unique adaptations to life underwater. 2023 American puffin enthusiasts often get mugged leaving the Arctic-bird exhibit. 2023 The spring also marks the start of the puffin season, with many of these adorable birds returning to the coastlines to breed. 2023 An Atlantic puffin passed First Encounter Beach in Eastham, along with 790 black-legged kittiwakes and an impressive 59 Northern fulmar. Smithsonian Magazine, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Apr. Recent Examples on the Web That would have given me more hope about the puffins’ long-term survival. ![]()
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