About

Sometimes referred to as the ‘sea parrot’ or 'clown of the sea', the puffin is instantly recognisable thanks to its brightly coloured, parrot-like bill. They spend the winter out at sea, usually a long way from land. Every spring, thousands of puffins return to the UK to nest on cliffs or offshore islands. They nest in little hobbit-like burrows in the ground, or crevices in cliffsides.

Puffins are loyal to one another, returning to the same mate each year. When they first reunite, they spend time rubbing their bills together (known as billing), reaffirming their bond. Each breeding season, they will have a single chick, known as a puffling. The puffling keeps its parents busy though fishing to keep it well-fed and satisfied. Their favourite meal is sand eel which they catch by diving and swimming using their wings.