How to Help Protect Icelandic Puffins
Puffins are one of England’s most unique seabirds, yet rare to see unless you live near the Farne Islands or on the Northumberland coast. They are also seen widely on Anglesey, a North Wales island. Although they are native to Iceland.
Also known as ‘sea parrots’, these birds have bright orange beaks – but only when breeding. Amazing swimmers, the baby ‘pufflings’ live in shallow burrows, until ready to fly solo.
Alongside Atlantic puffins, there are three other types of puffins worldwide:
- Horned puffins (with yellow bills)
- Tufted puffins (a crown of straw-coloured feathers)
- Rhinoceros auklet (looks nothing like a puffin!)
Atlantic Puffins in Northumberland
Atlantic puffins are almost too charming, to be real! They have brisk upright walks and clumsy flight from cliff ledges. But like penguins, once underwater they are graceful swimmers.
The Farne Islands (just off Northumberland’s coast) and a small island in Northumberland managed by RSPB as a nature reserve) are where most of England’s puffins reside. That’s a good thing, as there are few humans to disturb them.
You can visit the Farne Islands by boat from Seahouses (to view wildlife from afar). Dogs are not allowed, so visit one of the nearby beaches instead.
Read our post on how to keep dogs safe by the seaside.
Both islands are protected sites, to manage wildlife and keep nesting sites safe. These islands are also home to seals, rare terns and razorbills.
From Pufflings to Puffins
Pufflings are as cute as their name sounds. The parents dig burrows in grassy cliffs, and take turns to keep their single egg safe. Puffins (like swans and geese) mate with the same bird each year, often returning to the same burrow.
Puffins court by tapping each other’s beaks! This is called ‘billing’. The egg hatches around six weeks later, then they take it in turns, to fly out to catch fish for the chick.
Pufflings grow fast on a diet of fish, and after a month or so, are ready to head for the open sea. They leave the nest at night, guided by the moon to avoid predators. They fly off into the waves, the first swim seconds after the first flight!
Sandeel Fishing Ban and Conservation Efforts
Those silvery fish you always see in photos of puffins are called sandeels. As well as issues from habitat pollution and climate change, over-fishing of these creatures has led to puffins becoming endangered.
It’s for this reason that the UK government has recently brought in a sandeel fishing ban for other countries, in North Sea waters. This has enraged the EU, and some Scandinavian governments.
But the ban has already seen puffin numbers recover. And it has also helped the populations of other local birds including gannets, kittiwakes, guillemots and razorbills. Sandeels are also important food for haddock, whiting, seals and whales.
Puffins are also at risk from oil pills, freak weather, bird flu and even rat invasions on chicks and eggs.
Iceland: The Birthplace of Puffins
The world’s largest puffin population is in their native home if Iceland, where millions of pairs breed each year. However, as well as threats from over-fishing and habitat loss, they also face threats from hunting, which is legal here.
Email the Icelandic Prime Minister to stop puffin hunting for meat.
Scotland’s SOS Puffin Project
The SOS Puffin Project is run by Scottish Seabird Trust, helping to save a colony near Berwick (just over the border). Numbers crashed from 10,000 pairs to less than a thousand, due to a giant invasive plant which spread to nearby islands, mostly due to mild winters caused by climate change.
This prevented puffins from nesting and rearing their young. Volunteers have made regular trips over the years to cut down the tree mallow, to help restore numbers.
Why Sandeel Fishing Ban Must Stay
In recent years, puffins have become endangered due to over-fishing of sandeels (those silvery fish you always see in puffin mouths in photos).
A recent ban on fishing for them has caused uproar in the EU, but now at least we have more hope for them and other affected birds like kittiwakes.
At time of writing, the EU’s first ‘post-Brexit trade battle’ is still warring. With some Danish farmers accusing the bill of discriminating against them.
However, it looks like the ban has paid off. Recent reports suggest that puffins on the Farne Islands are now building immunity against bird flu, now that their natural foods have been restored.
Back in 2022 and 2023, rangers on the island collected almost 10,000 dead seabirds. This is a great example of standing up to politics, in order to protect our native birds.
Denmark currently holds over 90% of EU fishing quotas for sandeels along with Sweden, and before the ban was taking several billion fish, mostly to make animal feed and ‘food for fish farms’.
But sandeels are a staple food not just for puffins and other seabirds, but also for whales, dolphins and other fish (cod, haddock and mackerel).
Putting economic interests over long-term marine recovery, jeopardises the future of our seas and the industries that depend on them. To protect seabirds, cetaceans, and fish stocks, the sandeel closure must remain in place. Marine Conservation Society
Plastic pollution adds a silent pressure. Puffins collect grass and feathers for nests. Bits of rope and fishing line can get mixed in. Chicks can become tangled. Adults sometimes mistake plastic for food. It brings no nutrition, and it can cause harm.
How Climate Change Disrupts Puffin Food Chains
Warmer seas shift fish populations. Sand eels and capelin follow cooler water, often away from nesting cliffs. Colonies in places such as Vestmannaeyjar then face a long commute. Parents spend more time finding fish, chicks wait longer, and more nests fail.
Short-term weather swings make things worse. A warm spring can bring poor hatches of prey. Storms can block feeding trips. A single bad season hurts, but a run of them can halve chick output.
Individual choices matter. Cut your carbon footprint, push for clean energy, and back policies that protect the North Atlantic. One person does not fix the sea, but many people set the tone for markets and leaders. Think of it as a flock in flight. Each wingbeat adds up.
Tourism Pressures and Nest Disturbances
Puffins tolerate people up to a point. Repeated close approaches can make adults panic. A few minutes away from a burrow can chill eggs or expose chicks to gulls. Boat tours that edge too near sea stacks make feeding flights harder.
Sites such as the Látrabjarg cliffs use ropes, signs, and wardens. Many tour companies follow strict viewing distances. These rules protect birds at peak stress, May to August. Good operators explain why the rules exist, and that helps visitors act with care.
Eco-tourism can fund conservation, guide local jobs, and inspire visitors to protect wildlife at home. The balance is simple. Keep distance, stay quiet, and leave no trace. If a bird looks alarmed, you are too close.e
Follow Rules to Avoid Harming Breeding Sites
Breeding runs from May to August, with chicks in burrows for much of that time. During these months:
- Do not fly drones near colonies, many sites have no-fly zones.
- Keep voices low and movements slow.
- Stay behind ropes and on paths, turf can hide fragile burrows.
- Take all rubbish with you, even tiny bits of plastic.
If you see a distressed bird, back away and alert a warden if present. A few calm choices keep eggs warm and chicks fed.
Books to Learn More About Puffins
Puffin is a beautifully illustrated book, telling the amazing world of the puffin bird. Although we have puffins in (mostly northeast) England (especially on the Farne Islands in Northumberland), these ‘sea parrots’ are actually native to Iceland.
Known for their bright orange beaks (which are only that colour during breeding season), they are wonderful swimmers, and raise cute baby ‘pufflings’ in shallows, when on land.
In this book, you’ll learn all about these cutesy birds:
- How does a puffin live daily life?
- What happens down in the burrow?
- How on earth does a puffin carry all those fish in its bill?
Rathlin: A Wild Life is by a 21-year old woman who got her dream job working at an RSPB reserve off the County Antrim Coast. One of the most wildlife biodiverse corners, this was thrilling for a woman who grew up in southwest England.
But for someone who thought she knew what wild life was, this was something else. Puffins everywhere, swimming with seals and late-night trips to hear the call of the corncrake. To spotting dolphins from her front door, and getting to know some very special seabirds.
This is a heartfelt plea to look after our coastal life. And a love letter to the island and wildlife she found. And that we stand to lose, if things don’t change.
