Cool facts about puffins
During our tour of Newfoundland, our love for nature and birds naturally led us to the rugged area of Elliston, where we had the pleasure of encountering puffins up close.
They are so enchanting.
With their vibrant beaks and cute appearance, puffins are often referred to as the “Clowns of the Sea.” And indeed, they live up to their nickname, captivating us with their adorable antics as we observed them through the lens of my camera.
Puffins mate for life
While capturing these adorable birds in action, we noticed a super cute behavior: two puffins rubbing their beaks together. Intrigued by this adorable display, we did some research once we returned to our RV and got back online. It turns out that puffins, known for their lifelong partnerships, engage in this beak-rubbing ritual when they first meet.
It’s almost like a puffin version of a kiss! It was so cute.
The most endearing part is that the surrounding puffins seem to share in the excitement, gathering around the happy couple as if celebrating their union. Truly heartwarming!
Puffins are wonderful providers
Puffins, being the skilled flyers and hunters that they are, rely on the plentiful Capelin (a small oily fish) as their main source of food. These small fish roll onto the shores of Newfoundland by the millions, providing a bountiful feast for the puffins. Watching these adept birds dive into the water with precision, emerging with their beaks full of fish, is a spectacle to behold. They bring the fish back to their burrows to feed their young.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t successful in capturing an iconic shot of a puffin with a beak full of Capelin, but I will keep trying.
Where puffins live
The steep cliffs of the small islands in Newfoundland create ideal protected areas for puffin colonies. Puffins typically lay 1 egg per year. Not only do they keep the same mate every season, but they also use the same burrow as in previous years. Each pair has its own.
We thought that was pretty cool.
In Elliston, we had the incredible opportunity to walk to the edge of a cliff and observe the puffins on a nearby island with equally towering walls. Despite the island being a mere 50 feet from the mainland, the 100-meter cliffs serve as an impenetrable barrier, safeguarding the puffin nests from predators like the American mink.
Newfoundland boasts a thriving population of puffins, estimated to be around 400,000. The island’s pristine habitats and plentiful resources provide a haven for these beloved seabirds, ensuring their continued well-being.
Coincidentally, the day after our visit to the puffins in Elliston, we stumbled upon an interesting program on CBC Radio. It shed light on a remarkable project aimed at reintroducing puffins to Maine. It was a great listen. To learn more about this inspiring conservation endeavor, you can listen to the interview here.
Back in the early 1970s, a dedicated individual named Steve Kess teamed up with the National Audubon Society to bring puffin chicks from Newfoundland to an island near Rockport, Maine. This ambitious initiative aimed to reestablish a puffin colony in the area. Though the journey was fraught with challenges, their perseverance paid off. Today, a small but thriving puffin colony returns to the island each breeding season. In fact, you can witness the puffins’ lives unfold through live webcams provided by the Audubon Society. One such webcam even allows you to peer into a puffin burrow, where you can witness a chick being attentively cared for.
As a photographer, I love watching these beautiful creatures and encourage you to continue capturing the enchantment of puffins through your own lens. Their colorful nature and captivating behaviors make for truly beautiful photographs.
The area is pretty fabulous too.
We’re feeling very grateful to have been so close to them. This was our second visit.
If you can, go explore the wonders of the puffin world, and let your creativity soar alongside these beloved puffins. Have you ever seen them? We’d love to know. Share with us on IG.
You may also like our post about the Eagles from Sheffield Mills in Nova Scotia.
My puffin prints and photos can be purchased here if you’d like to see more or purchase them.