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Birds › Sea cliffs › Atlantic Puffin

Atlantic Puffin

Fratercula arctica

It can carry a dozen or more small fish crosswise in its bill, holding them with a spiny tongue while it catches more.

Where to see it for real: Seen on sea cliffs and islands in summer, in places like Maine, Newfoundland, Iceland and Scotland.

Spot it in the game

Lives in the Sea cliffs habitat (North Atlantic coast, in summer).

Atlantic Puffin, Fratercula arctica
Photo: Christoph Moning, CC BY 4.0, via iNaturalist. Cut out from the original photo.

Atlantic Puffin facts

Family
Auks
Length
12 in (30 cm)
Wingspan
22 in (55 cm)
Weight
16 oz (450 g)
Diet
Small fish such as sand eels, capelin and herring.
Range
The North Atlantic: breeds from Maine and Newfoundland to Iceland, Norway and Britain, and winters at sea.
Nest
A burrow dug into a grassy cliff top, or a gap among rocks.
Song
Silent at sea; in the burrow a low, growling "arr-arr-arr".
Active
at dawn, by day and at dusk
Status
Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List: at high risk in the wild.

What the Atlantic Puffin sounds like

Recording 1: Killian Sullivan, CC0, original on xeno-canto. Trimmed and cleaned of low background noise.

More: bird songs and calls.

More birds of the sea cliffs

RazorbillRazorbillSea cliffsCommon MurreCommon MurreSea cliffsBlack-legged KittiwakeBlack-legged KittiwakeSea cliffsNorthern GannetNorthern GannetSea cliffsNorthern FulmarNorthern FulmarSea cliffsCommon EiderCommon EiderSea cliffs

Spot the Atlantic Puffin yourself

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