Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula arctica)
Description
A seabird species in the auk family with very distinctive black back and head and white underparts. Has large pale cheeks, red and black eye-markings and a tall, flattened, brightly-coloured bill. Its legs are bright orange.
Behaviour
Migratory summer visitor that lives in burrows close to coastal cliff tops.
Size
28-34 centimeters in length, with a 50-60 cm wingspan. The male is slightly larger than the female, but they are coloured alike.
Where to see them
Handa Island. Locations around the Moray Firth
When to see them
From March to April until mid August
What they eat
Small fish, especially sand eels.
Status
On Amber list of UK Birds of Conservation Concern.
Distribution
Breeds on the coasts of northern Europe, Faroe Islands, Iceland and eastern North America, from well within the Arctic Circle to northern France and Maine.
Threats
Changes in distribution and numbers of small fish, ground predators (eg rats), pollution.
Fascinating facts
Spends winter months at sea far from land. In Europe will travel as far south as the Mediterranean, and in North America to North Carolina.