7 Fascinating Facts About Puffins

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Puffin Facts: There Are Multiple Species of Puffins

Tufted puffins, St. Paul Island — Tufted puffins in Alaska

There are four species of puffins: Atlantic, horned, tufted and (despite the misleading name) rhinoceros auklets. They live along the northern coastlines of the Atlantic and Paciﬁc oceans.

Psst—these are the best ways to see puffins in Maine.

Puffins Weigh More Than You Think

Standing 10 inches tall, Atlantic puffins weigh about a pound. Their feathers resemble a crisp, black-and-white tuxedo and offset a comical, orange-striped beak.

Puffin Pairs Mate for Life

facts about puffins — Atlantic puffins at Machias Seal Island, off the coast of Maine

It takes several years for puﬃns to mature and breed. At about 5 years old, they choose a partner that they mate with year after year. While songbirds have clutch sizes containing multiple eggs, puffins lay only one egg every breeding season.

Puffin Populations Have Bounced Back

Atlantic puﬃns once disappeared from colonies in southern Maine due to overhunting, but they were reintroduced to Eastern Egg Rock starting in 1973 as part of “Project Puﬃn.” Over 1,900 chicks were transplanted to re-establish the colony.

Puffins Live Longer Than Songbirds

atlantic puffin — Atlantic puffins are the only puffin species with dark steel-blue triangles on the base of their beaks.

Smaller songbirds tend to have lifespans of around eight to 10 years. Most puﬃns, however, live into their 20s. Researchers don’t know the exact average age because puﬃns tend to live longer than tracking bands last.

Puffins Save Food for Later

puffin facts — Puffins feed on small fish

On average, puffins catch and hold on to 10 fish for each trip to the sea. They use their tongues to secure the ﬁsh against their jagged palate, allowing them to bring more food back to their nests. A puﬃn in Britain was spotted with an astonishing 62 ﬁsh in its mouth at once.

Puffins Are Skilled Divers and Fast Fliers

Atlantic puﬃns dive to depths of 200 feet—often in half-minute plunges—but typically hunt in shallower waters for small ﬁsh, including sand lance, sprat, herring, hake and cod. Despite their stocky builds, puﬃns pick up some serious speed! They ﬂap their wings up to 400 beats a minute and fly 48 to 55 mph.

When you’re done reading puffin facts, learn more about Atlantic puffins and birds with limited ranges in the U.S..

Sources

National Audubon Society, “Field Guide: Atlantic Puffin“
All About Birds, “Atlantic Puffin: Overview“
All About Birds, “Tufted Puffin Overview“

Author

Rachel Maidl

Rachel Maidl is a former senior editor for Birds & Blooms magazine. She enjoys bird-watching in her urban backyard and local state parks, gardening for pollinators and researching new plants. Her favorite backyard visitors are the bumblebees that visit her sedums.

Reviewer

Kenn and Kimberly Kaufman

As a teenager in the 1970s, Kenn Kaufman hitch-hiked all over North America in pursuit of birds, an adventure later chronicled in his cult-classic book Kingbird Highway. After several years as a professional nature tour leader, taking groups to all seven continents, he transitioned to a career as a writer, editor, and illustrator. His 14 books incl...

Fact Checker

Kirsten Schrader

Now Birds & Blooms' content director, Kirsten has been writing about birding and gardening for 17 years. Her writing and editing roles have spanned the print and digital landscape. Although she has traveled to see amazing birds throughout the U.S., Kirsten has one dream bucket list bird—the male painted bunting.