Page 49 - World of Animals - Issue #29

Atlantic puffins and humans
Nearest
With their brightly coloured beaks stuffed full of fish, it is easy neighbours
to see why Atlantic puffi ns have won the hearts of birdwatchers Out on the ocean, Atlantic puffi ns
and cliff walkers across their territory, but despite their obvious are joined by plenty of bird and
likeability, they have a tense relationship with humans. marine species
Over half of the Atlantic puffi n population live in Iceland,
where hunting the birds for meat, skins, down and eggs has
been a tradition for over 1,000 years. They are part of the local
cuisine and culture, and despite the decline in their numbers,
are still captured and killed during the annual hunting season.
Traditionally, puffi ns are caught in nets; the hunters grab them
as they fly beneath the cliffs, capturing mainly inexperienced
juveniles. The breeding adults are much less likely to be
caught, helping to prevent the hungry chicks being orphaned.
In 2011 and 2012, puffi n hunting was temporarily banned in
the Westman Islands. In subsequent years the hunting season
has been limited to just a few days. However, hunting doesn’t
seem to be the root cause of the problem. It was actually Fulmar
hunters that first called attention to the drop in puffi n numbers, These birds look like seagulls, but are
and by looking back at hunting records, scientists linked the more closely related to storm petrels
and albatrosses. Like puffi ns, they
decline to changing sea temperatures. The puffi ns’ favourite feed far out at sea, diving below the
fish are moving to colder waters, but the birds aren’t able to waves to catch fish, jellyfish and squid.
follow, leaving some chicks without enough food to survive.
Guillemot
Another species of seabird, guillemots
gather together in their tens of
thousands to breed on the shores of
the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic Oceans.
They like to nest on cliffs, out of the
way of predatory mammals.
Pilot whale
Pilot whales are related to orcas and
dolphins, and are highly intelligent.
They don’t have many teeth compared
to their close relatives, and feed
mainly on so squid, hunting in teams
to maximise their catch.
Sand eel © Thinkstock; The Art Agency/Peter Scott; Nature PL; Rex Features; Dreamstime; Alamy
Sand eels are an Atlantic puffi n’s
favourite food. There are lots of
different species, and they tend to be
found in the waters close to the shore,
making them an ideal food source for
chicks in nearby nests.
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