Information about the Puffin Burrow from Audubon on the live cam site on Explore.com:
https://explore.org/livecams/national-audubon-society/puffin-burrow-camWelcome to Seal Island! Though this 65-acre island is a popular place for gray seals to have their pups, it is also home to many Atlantic puffins, sometimes called "sea parrots" because of their distinctive colorful beaks.
Where are these puffins?
Seal Island is a national wildlife refuge 21 miles off the coast of Maine where many species of nesting seabirds, including Atlantic puffins, come to nest. This live puffin cam overlooks the "loafing ledge," a prime spot for puffins to congregate, with plenty of "exit routes" in every direction in case a hawk or gull attacks.
Are puffins and penguins similar?
These seaworthy birds may look similar, and they both live in extremely cold environments, but they are actually found on opposite sides of the planet! Puffins are native to the northern hemisphere while penguins are found only in the southern hemisphere.
How big are puffins?
Puffins are approximately 10-12 inches long, and weigh slightly more than 1 pound.
Their black and white plumage is similar to penguins, but their colorful beaks--which can be red, blue or yellow--are reminiscent of a parrot. In the winter months, puffin beaks become a more dull, grayish color.
Do puffins fly?
Yes! By flapping their wings about 400 times a minute, they can reach speeds of 50 mph or more! Their strong, broad wings also make them superb swimmers. In fact, puffins spend most of their time at sea--flying, swimming, or resting on the ocean's surface--and only come ashore in spring to breed.
What do puffins eat?
Puffins will "forage" underwater for many different marine organisms, including small fish like herring, hake, capelin and sand lance. Incredibly, they can catch as many as 10-12 small fish in succession and bring them all back to the nest at once!
Though most of their foraging happens within 50 feet of the surface, puffins can dive to depths of 200 feet.
Are puffins endangered?
Puffins are listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
The puffins here at Seal Island were hunted heavily for their meat and feathers by local fisherman in the late 1800s, and by 1885, the original puffin colony was lost. Puffins did not begin to return on their own until Audubon launched a restoration program called Project Puffin in 1984. Today, about 500 puffin pairs breed at Seal Island each year, and Maine's total puffin population has increased from a single pair on nearby Matinicus Rock in 1901 to about 1,200 pairs on five Maine islands.
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Topic: Puffin Burrow at Seal Island, Maine, USA 2019-20 (Read 102988 times)