Kingdom | Animalia |
Phylum | Chordata |
Class | Aves |
Order | Charadriiformes |
Family | Alcidae |
Genus | Fratercula |
Species | F. arctica |
Scientific Name | Fratercula arctica |
Other Names
Common puffin
Atlantic Puffin Description
- The Atlantic puffin is silent above ground.
- Atlantic puffins breed in colonies on rocky islands in the North Atlantic and winters at sea.
- They nest in burrows.
- Atlantic puffins dive for food and use their wings to swim underwater.
- They are thought to nest in cliff-top colonies.
Size & Weight
Adults:
- TOTAL LENGTH: 28 to 30 cm (11 to 12 in)
- WINGSPAN: 47 to 63 cm (19 to 25 in)
- HEIGHT: 20 cm (8 in)
Hatchlings
- WEIGHT: 42 grams (1.5 oz)
Subspecies
- Ratercula arctica arctica
- Fratercula arctica grabae
- Fratercula arctica naumanni
Habitat
Ocean
Range
Norway, Faroe Islands, Orkney Islands, Greenland, Newfoundland, Labrador, Russia, Shetland, North Sea, northern France, Maine
Diet
Small fish, crustaceans, mollusks, shrimps, sprats, sand eels, herring, capelin
Reproduction
1 egg
Incubation Period
39–45 days
Egg-laying Period
April and June
Fledging Period
34 to 50 days
Egg Size
- LENGTH: 61 mm (2.4 in)
- WIDTH: 42 mm (1.7 in)
- WEIGHT: 62 grams (2.2 oz)
Sexual Maturity
3 – 6 years
Population
750,000 and 760,000
Lifespan
33 years
Home Range
1,620,000 sq km (630,000 sq mi)
Predators
Seals, foxes, weasels, stoats, dogs, cats, rats, great black-backed gull, great skua, lesser black-backed gull, herring gull
Sounds
Chainsaw buzzing
Behavior
Solitary
Conservation Status
Vulnerable