Top 10 facts about Puffins

1. Puffins are the parrots of the sea

Puffins are known as 'sea parrots' due to their brightly coloured bills and are mainly found on rocky coasts and offshore islands.

2. They are mostly European

Around 90% of the Atlantic puffin population are found in Europe; with 80% in Iceland and Norway, and the remaining 10% breed around Britain and Ireland. There are over 1 million puffins in the UK. 

3. They dress to impress in breeding season

Puffins are black on top with white bellies and cheeks. In the breeding season, they have brightly-coloured bills, orange legs and very distinctive red and black eye markings. 

4. Light as a feather

Puffins weigh between 320 and 480g and are 26-29cm long with a wingspan of 47-63cm.

5. Anyone for a 60 metre dive?

Puffins dive into the water to catch their prey, usually within 30 metres of the water's surface but they can dive down to 60 metres. 

6. Their favourite food is... Fish!

The most common prey for UK puffins is the lesser sand eel, followed by sprat and herring.

7. They sure love sand eels!

They have serrated bills so they can hold their fish in place. One puffin was recorded holding 83 small sand eels in its bill at once! 

8. Puffins have a similar lifespan to a Penguin

Puffins often live for 20 years.

9. They struggle to weather the storm

Extreme weather and storms can cause mass mortality of puffins; with extreme cold and wet weather causing the death of chicks, through the flooding and destruction of nests, and making it difficult to forage at sea. 

10. They need our help to protect their numbers

The UK's puffin population is predicted to nosedive by up to 90% in the next 30 years

Puffins are threatened by invasive species including predators, pollution, food shortages caused by overfishing and accidentally being caught in fishing nets. They are listed on the Red List of UK Birds of Conservation Concern.