CLOWN OF THE SEA

❃ The Atlantic puffin (Fratercula arctica) is one of the North Atlantic’s most recognizable seabirds, with its black-and-white plumage and brilliantly colored bill earning it the nickname “clown of the sea.” Found along rocky coastlines and islands from eastern North America to northern Europe, puffins spend much of their lives far out at sea, returning to land primarily during the breeding season.

❃ Puffins are remarkable underwater hunters. Using their short wings like flippers, they appear to “fly” beneath the surface while chasing small fish such as sand eels and herring. Their specialized bills and backward-pointing structures inside the mouth allow them to hold several fish at once while continuing to hunt, resulting in the famous photographs of puffins carrying impressive rows of fish crosswise in their beaks.

❃ Each breeding season, Atlantic puffins gather in bustling colonies on cliffs and grassy islands, where pairs often return to the same nesting areas year after year. Their colorful bills become duller during winter before brightening again for the breeding season. Built for diving, ocean travel, and life on windswept cliffs, the Atlantic puffin is a wonderfully charismatic little seabird with some serious seafaring skills.