Page 44 - World of Animals - Issue #29

Atlantic puffin

Colonies on the cliffside

During the breeding season, large colonies of puffins get together to make their nests along the coastline
The distinctive orange beak of the Atlantic call loudly to one another above ground, and adults share parenting duties, but the tasks
puffin really comes into its own during the under the cover of their burrows they make a aren’t quite distributed evenly. The male is
breeding season, with an unusual courtship low-pitched buzzing noise. In all the excitement, often more involved in nest building and
display known as ‘billing’. In the winter, puffin there can also be some conflict between the defending the burrow, while the female takes
bills are relatively muted in colour, but as the birds, beginning with aggressive posturing, and more responsibility for incubating the egg and
spring approaches, bright orange, yellow and escalating to beak-to-beak wrestling. feeding the chick.
blue plates start to grow, and the bill becomes The puffins like to dig down into the ground The adults leave their young in the safety of
larger and more prominent. to make their nests, constructing a safe burrow the burrow during the day while they go out
Puffin courtship actually begins out on the in which to hide a single egg each year. Raising to hunt. The colony moves together, making
water, and by the time the birds make it to a puffin chick, known as a puffling, is a full it harder for predators in the air to single out
shore they have usually chosen a mate. Once time job for both parents, and ensuring that individuals, and they bring back mouthfuls of
on land, the pairs start billing; rapidly tapping the young bird is safe while the parents are oily fish to feed to their young. Around the
their beaks together in the puffin version of out searching for fish is vital. Ideal chick-raising British Isles, the birds mostly catch sand eels,
a kiss. This can attract the attention of other locations include offshore islands, rocky cliff but they are also fond of sprats and herring.
puffins in the colony, and it is not uncommon edges and grassy slopes, where the number of When the pufflings are around six weeks
for nearby neighbours to try and join in. predators on the ground is low. old, the adult puffins return to the sea. They
Puffins are normally quiet birds, but when Many pairs mate for life, and will use the abandon their chicks, leaving them to fend for
they get together they can be very noisy. They same nest site time and time again. Both themselves until they are ready to fly.

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