Atlantic Puffins Habitat

In 1890 there were about 250 000 pairs of atlantic puffins breeding on grassholm a 22 acre island a few miles off the southwest coast of wales in the united kingdom.

Atlantic puffins habitat. The atlantic puffin fratercula arctica also known as the common puffin is a species of seabird in the auk family. Due to their physical appearance they are rightly known as the cousins of penguin. The atlantic puffin is one of four species of puffins and is the only puffin that lives in the north atlantic ocean. These include over fishing in puffin breeding grounds pollution such as oil spills and the introduction of predators on the ground rats and mink.

The other three puffin species live on the pacific ocean. It is sometimes known as the sea parrot or the clown of the sea because of its colorful and comical appearance. It is an excellent diver and swimmer. For most of the year atlantic puffins live on the open ocean with a range spanning from the eastern coast of canada and the northern united states to the western coast of europe and northern russia.

In new england the atlantic puffin provides one such example. The atlantic puffin is well adapted for life in the water. Puffins are specially adapted to living on the open sea. Atlantic puffins land on north atlantic seacoasts and islands to form breeding colonies each spring and summer.

The atlantic puffin ranges from iceland greenland and norway as far south as new york and morocco. 60 of the world s puffins live near iceland. Open ocean and rocky cliffs. It is the only puffin native to the atlantic ocean.

Today few if any puffins breed on this rocky island. Two related species the tufted puffin and the horned puffin are found in the northeastern pacific. Atlantic puffins are one of those birds that fancy living inside the seawater and for the most part they are engaged in dipping and eating in seawater. The greatest threats to atlantic puffins are all man made.

A century ago they were almost completely wiped out of their habitats along the maine coast but today they re thriving thanks to conservation efforts. These threats put puffins at risk because of their low reproductive rates and the fact that they breed in concentrated colonies. Atlantic puffins are the only species of puffin to live on the atlantic ocean. The horned puffin may be found from the coasts of alaska british columbia and siberia wintering along the california and baja california coast.

Iceland is the breeding home of perhaps 60 percent of the world s atlantic puffins.