Atlantic Puffin

Fratercula arctica (Linnaeus, 1758)

28–30 cmLength55 cmWingspan593 gWeight

In the breeding season, it has a black back, white belly and a large, broad, brightly colored triangular bill.

Busiest months: June–July · Most records: United Kingdom, Iceland, Norway

Vulnerable

How to identify

Field marks

Large bill triangular in side view
A diamond-shaped pale gray patch on each cheek in the breeding season
Back and wings black; breast and belly white
Adult has bright orange legs and webbed feet

Male, female and young

Sexes alike in plumage; male usually slightly larger. Juvenile has a darker face and a yellowish-rufous bill tip and legs.

Voice

Low growls from inside burrows, like a chainsaw starting up.

Where and when it's recorded

Atlantic Puffin has been recorded at 172 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 22 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Bempton Cliffs RSPB ReserveUnited Kingdom2,982 records
Vardø – HornøyaNorway798 records
Whitburn Coastal ParkUnited Kingdom786 records

More places

Cliffs of MoherIreland658 records
Látrabjarg – BjargtangarIceland649 records
Vestmannaeyjar ferryIceland564 records
SkokholmUnited Kingdom511 records
Flamborough HeadUnited Kingdom503 records
Fair IsleUnited Kingdom476 records
FlateyIceland405 records

Countries and regions with the most records

United Kingdom Iceland Norway Ireland Canada Svalbard & Jan Mayen Portugal United States

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The Atlantic puffin (Fratercula arctica), also known as the common puffin, is a species of seabird in the auk family. 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 breeds in Russia, Iceland, Ireland, Britain, Norway, Greenland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and the Faroe Islands, and as far south as Maine in the west and France (Brittany).

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Atlantic Puffin?

The Atlantic Puffin is about 28–30 cm long, with a wingspan of 55 cm and weighs around 593 g.

Where does the Atlantic Puffin live?

Its breeding range: Palearctic, North America: subarctic and temperate North Atlantic coasts: western, east-central Greenland, Iceland, Faroe, British, and Channel islands, northwestern France, south to northern Scandinavia, Svalbard (north of Norway) and Novaya Zemlya (northwestern Russia); northern Hudson Bay to southeastern Canada and Maine (eastern Canada, northeastern USA). It is most often recorded in United Kingdom, Iceland and Norway.

When is the best time to see the Atlantic Puffin?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in June and July (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Atlantic Puffin endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Atlantic Puffin as Vulnerable.

What does the Atlantic Puffin eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Atlantic Puffin in?

It belongs to the family Auks (Alcidae), order Charadriiformes.

At a glance

Length: 28–30 cm
Wingspan: 55 cm
Weight: 593 g
Habitat: Ocean
Diet: Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle: On the water surface
Migration: Migratory
Conservation: Vulnerable

More measurements

Wing: 164 mm
Tail: 46 mm
Bill: 51 mm
Tarsus: 28 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Palearctic, North America: subarctic and temperate North Atlantic coasts: western, east-central Greenland, Iceland, Faroe, British, and Channel islands, northwestern France, south to northern Scandinavia, Svalbard (north of Norway) and Novaya Zemlya (northwestern Russia); northern Hudson Bay to southeastern Canada and Maine (eastern Canada, northeastern USA)

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2